Unconditional Love
by Crazy4Animation
Summary: Kyoko was forced to marry Kuon Hizuri, famous business Tycoon by her mother. Kuon was forced into marriage despite the fact that his heart already was taken away by someone he met years ago. He wasn't ready to accept her so they made a contract. Little did he know Kyoko was that girl he fell in love with but both of them seem to forget about each other. How things will work out? AU
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own skip beat or any of its characters. It's an AU story.

* * *

 **Unconditional Love**

 **Chapter-1**

* * *

 _"Mother, please, I beg you. I don't want to marry. I don't even know him. Please don't do this to me" Kyoko pleaded._

 _"Shut up! You'll do as I say. You have no right to go against me, you useless child! Your marriage's been fixed with him since your childhood so stop being so tacky and quietly obey!" Saena ordered harshly as she gave her daughter a pen to sign the marriage certificate._

 _Tears escaped Kyoko's eyes as she clenched her fists to swallow her misery._

 _She knew it was useless. Her mother would never listen to her. She was an unwanted child after all. Her mother never loved her. She was a disappointment and source of embarrassment for her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't succeed in winning her heart. The more she tried, the more her mother's hatred grew up for her. She didn't know the reason and she couldn't dare to ask her. She was completely helpless when it came to her mother._

 _"Mother… please" she begged again with bloody red eyes but instead of listening, Saena shot a deadly glare at her._

 _"Do it or else you'll lose the right to call me mother. Make a decision. If you refuse, then you will no longer be welcomed in my house. Don't forget that I gave you birth. Be a worthy child for me at least for once. Don't make me regret your birth decision. You owe me a lot so it's the right time for you to pay me back" Saena declared coldly without any care of the effect of her words on her daughter._

 _Kyoko gritted her teeth and bit her lower lip to prevent herself from crying in front of her mother. Her tears held no meaning for her mother. She was just a pet or a puppet for her whom she could manipulate whenever and however she wanted. She was an excruciating burden that Saena wanted to take off her shoulders as quickly as she could._

 _Taking in a shaky breath, Kyoko took the pen and signed the papers with trembling hand without even looking at the name of the person whom she was getting married to._

 _Her heart broke into infinitesimal pieces when her mother grasped the papers roughly and spoke to her ever so brusquely._

 _"Glad that I got rid of you at last. Now, I won't have to see your face anymore" her voice was full of hatred that caused Kyoko to cry, despite of her mighty self control._

 _"Mother….I don't even know him"_

 _Saena raised an eyebrow._

 _"It doesn't matter. I have business connections with them. Being a part of Hizuri family will be beneficial for us. You should be happy that at least someone is willing to marry a futile woman like you" she smirked coldly._

 _"Don't tell me you wanted to marry for love because you aren't worth loving. I'm sure your husband will get tired of you soon and kick you out of the house but what happens to you from now on is none of my business. Did you forget how your childhood sweet heart rejected you?" Saena shot the fragile heart of Kyoko with daggers of abhorrence that she had harbored in her heart for no particular reason._

 _Kyoko covered her face with her hands and wished to hide herself somewhere her mother could never find out. She started to hiccup but wasn't consoled by her mother at all. Instead, Saena's voice turned even harsher._

 _"Quit being pitiful! It's no use anymore. Go fresh up and get ready. Your father in law will be here soon to get you" Saena ordered with a stern face._

* * *

Kyoko sighed heavily, sitting in an unfamiliar room of an unfamiliar house. Kuu dropped her off to now her new home and left after having a small casual chat with her but the man in question who was her husband was still absent.

 _"I'm married to a man who didn't even bother to come and have a proper marriage. Sending the marriage documents to sign and a ring to wear….? Can it really be called a marriage? He didn't even bother to come and get me. I guess he's really being forced into this marriage like me."_

Kyoko impulsively sighed again as she stared down at her wedding ring.

Her father in law, Kuu Hizuri was a famous business Tycoon and her mother Saena was pretty impressed by the financial power that he possessed. That's why she decided to put Kyoko in an arranged marriage with Kuon Hizuri, the only son of Kuu and Julie Hizuri when she was just a child. It was true that she was engaged to Kuon Hizuri but she had never met him in her entire life. It was completely arranged by her mother, which was more like a marriage gambling based on gaining financial power in return. Kyoko's heart and emotions were crushed in process.

Sitting at the edge of the bed, Kyoko looked at the wall clock which told her that it was about midnight.

Getting nervous and scared about the fact that her husband might not come at all, she tried to distract herself by looking around to get rid of the uneasy feelings.

Kyoko jumped up when she heard the bedroom door being opened and closed with a soft click.

Her eyes followed the man who entered the room. Her amber eyes met with a tall, green eyed, blonde handsome who didn't look like a normal Japanese.

"I'm sorry you had to wait for so long. I was busy in work" he said in an emotionless tone.

Getting uncomfortable by the gaze of an unfamiliar man, Kyoko turned her eyes away as she mumbled to him softly, just enough for him to hear clearly.

"It's alright"

 _"He had to work on his wedding day? He could just refuse if he didn't want to marry but I guess he had no choice just like I had none"_

Kuon shrugged rolling his eyes as he glanced at her from head to tow

An annoyed expression appeared on his face for a second before he sighed and worked with his tie to get it off in a rough movement and let it fall down on the floor.

 _"I'm married to a girl 4 years younger than me. What was my father thinking pulling me into this arranged marriage game thing? Give me a break, I'm 25 years old adult. I never wanted to get married to a stranger. He could have asked me before agreeing to this crap! How am I going to explain everything to this girl? This is bullshit!"_

Taking large steps to cover the distance between them, Kuon sat down next to her keeping himself at arm's length while she flinched and inched away from him and stared at him with a blank expression.

He gestured at her with a bored expression and then looked down at the floor.

"I don't want to keep you in dark. I am sorry but this marriage has no meaning for me. You'll just share my family name but nothing else. I can't give myself to you. I wasn't interested in this marriage at all but I had to obey my father's desire" Kuon didn't meet her eyes as he told her the truth, feeling slight guilty for rejecting her so bluntly on first day of their marriage.

Kyoko already knew it was a loveless marriage but hearing it directly from him hurt her a little bit.

She didn't dare to answer. She didn't know what to say so she closed her eyes searching in her mind for the words to say.

 _"I've been rejected twice but it doesn't hurt anymore because I know I don't deserve to be loved by anyone. I'm a worthless fool who lives in world of fantasies"_

Both of them sat there in a pin drop silence.

Kyoko was getting more nervous with each passing second. She was stiff as a board. Although the man next to her was her husband but being in the same room with a complete stranger was too much embarrassing for her. Her heart wanted to jump out of the ribcage.

Sensing her discomfort, Kuon looked up at her and found her looking down at the floor.

He sighed again feeling so awkward around her.

"M-Mogami-san, I… I'm sorry. It's just the way it is. At least it's better to be truthful from the beginning than giving you false hopes. I can't love you because…. I…. I…." he suddenly felt tongue tied and swallowed the heavy lump down his throat.

 _"Should I tell her? She is my wife now even if I am unwilling to accept her so wouldn't it be inappropriate to tell her that? Well why not? She's married me for money so why not make it all clear to her that I am not hers and can never be" Kuon fought with his inner turmoil._

"I…." he muttered as he intertwined his fingers with his own hand.

His raspy voice caught her attention and she gazed at him who was staring openly at her.

"It's alright. Love can't be bought at any cost. It comes naturally. I am sorry you had to go through all this" Kyoko replied in a toneless voice but couldn't hide the sadness that was given away by her eyes.

Kuon looked at her shocked. She looked calm and composed as if it didn't bother her at all but her eyes were behaving the other way. He felt guilty a little bit.

Kuon was now feeling nervous too. Scratching the back of his head, he tried to assemble himself and spoke softly as he revealed the secret to her, holding his breath in anticipation.

"M-Mogami-san, I am sorry but I can't accept you because…." He paused to take deep breath before continuing again.

Kyoko's face expression didn't change. She didn't even budge. She just kept staring at her waiting for the words to come out of his mouth.

"I… like someone else…. I' m sorry but I can't be yours. I have one heart and it belongs to her only. There's no place for any other woman in my life" He said clenching his hands tightly as he waited for her to shout at him just like other girls.

 _"It doesn't hurt anymore why? Am I emotionally dead?" Kyoko asked herself._

She laughed softly to herself while Kuon looked at her frightened preparing himself for the blow that was awaiting him.

"If you loved someone else then you shouldn't have married me Hizuri-san, you had the option to reject" she said masking the pain that she felt but it didn't matter. She couldn't do anything about it. Love was something that wasn't for her and she couldn't beg for it so it was better for her to just accept the cruel reality of rejection.

"I had no option but to marry you. I couldn't oppose my father no matter how much I wanted to so It's just a contract for me but you should be happy that at least, I married you with no complains." he said bluntly despite of the guilt that was rising up in his chest.

Kyoko felt at loss.

 _"Mother's right. I'm worthless. At least he has someone to love and he should be with her. I have no right to snatch away his happiness and force him to live in pain"_

Brushing away the pain, Kyoko gathered her strength to make an eye contact with him again.

"Loving someone isn't a crime Hizuri-san, everyone deserves to be with his loved one. I'm glad you told me. I'll help you in any way I can to get together with her then you and I will go on our separate ways through divorce but until then, you have to bear with me."

Kuon was speechless. He looked at her with mouth slightly opening and closing but words didn't come out. He didn't expect her to react that way. It made him frozen in place and stare at her.

Moments passed but Kuon couldn't find his voice to speak. She gestured at him for any response but he was like a glued stone.

She wanted to bury herself in the ground. Was she really useless, having no purpose to live at all? Was it really her destiny to be rejected by everyone that came in her life? How pitiful her life was. She was forced to live with no one to rely on.

Kyoko stood up and went towards the closet to take a pillow and a blanket out for her.

Kuon followed her movements mechanically. He gasped when Kyoko prepared her futon on the floor, getting ready to sleep.

"What are you doing?" Koun finally found his voice to ask but her reply again slapped him into silence.

"Don't worry. I'm not fond of taking away other people's right. Let's just pretend to be a couple until you get back the woman you love" she stated silently as she lay down and pulled the blanket over her leaving Kuon completely stunned whose mind couldn't process what just happened. He just kept staring at her direction in disbelief.

* * *

Please read/review/follow/favorite. Remember it's an AU story so it doesn't follow the original plot of Skip beat. Don't forget to let me know how you feel about the story.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own skip beat or any of its characters. It's an AU story

 **A/N:** Thanks for liking the story and for all the love you have given me. Please keep on supporting me. Your encouragements mean a lot to me. Bundle of thanks. I hope you enjoy the chapter. Please let me know what you think.

* * *

 **Unconditional Love**

 **Chapter-2**

* * *

Kuon stirred in his sleep when sunrays coming through the curtains teased his handsome, flawless face. He wanted to sleep a bit more.

He slowly opened his eyes, annoying noise of his alarm clock pissed him and he punched the poor thing to shut it up. He reluctantly got up rubbing his eyes then slid into his shoes and went to the bathroom to take a cold shower in order to fully wake himself up.

Standing under the shower, he let the cold water calm his furiously beating heart.

 _"I told my own wife about the woman I love. How could I be so stupid? But she didn't seem to mind. She even said she would help me to be with her. What kind of woman she is? Didn't it bother her even one bit? What does she exactly want from me if she has plans to go on separate ways? Why did she even marry me? Is it money or is it my personality? She's absolutely a gold digger why else anyone would agree to marry a total stranger? She married me because of my position. After all I'm CEO of Hizuri Corp, Women can do anything just to be with me" Before the cold water could do any harm for him, he turned off the shower and stepped out of the bathroom._

He quickly dried himself and dressed up into a sky blue business suit. After styling his hair back, Kuon was about to take off when his phone rang.

Frustration took over him, sighing it out of himself; he answered the phone without checking the caller's ID.

"Hello?" he greeted.

"Hello Kuon!" he father spoke at the other side.

His temper rose.

"What do you want now Dad? Why don't you just let me live peacefully?" He accused his father, letting his anger out on him for forcing him into marriage with a stranger.

Kuu sighed feeling sad for his son. No matter what Kuon thought, he always loved his son so much. Kuon was so attached to his father but after he turned 10, he distanced himself from him, leaving Kuu heartbroken, questioning himself what he did wrong to make his son hate him to the point of pushing him away so coldly.

"I just wanted to know about your well-being" Kuu whispered being a helpless father.

"How can I be well after being forced into an unwanted marriage by you?" Kuon accused angrily.

Kuu sighed.

"Kuon, I did what was best for you" Kuu tried to reason.

Kuon let out a cold laugh.

"Without my consent, how can it be best for me? Do you hate me that much Dad? Am I really a burden for you that you didn't even bother to ask me if I wanted to marry her or not? You destroyed my life!" he grabbed his phone tightly as he gritted his teeth to suppress his inner turmoil.

Kuu's heart jumped into his stomach. He was astonished. He suddenly felt sick and weak.

 _"What happened to you Kuon? Why did you become like this? Did I do something wrong? Did I fail you as a father? Didn't I have the right to at least choose the life partner for my only son? Where did my beloved son go who couldn't live without me not even for a second?"_

Silence fell over, no one uttered a single word then, Kuu cleared his throat and said in a heavy broken voice.

"I'm sorry Kuon, but I have organized a small celebration for you two at my place. I would be happy if you could come" then the line went dead.

Kuon could only hear the dialing tone.

Sighing heavily he closed his eyes and let his overwhelming emotions settle down as he slid his mobile into his pocket and made his way to his living room.

 _"It's all your fault Dad! It was always your fault. I wish I were never a Hizuri, you have ruined my life!"_

* * *

Kuon's eyes went round with shock, witnessing the scene before his eyes.

The woman he married was serving him breakfast? When did she make it? How…? And moreover why did she do it? Wasn't it a neutral marriage? Didn't he make it clear that he wanted nothing to do with her? Didn't he tell her that she would always be a stranger for him, nothing more nothing less? Then why was she taking care of him?

"There was nothing else but eggs and few energy drinks in the fridge so I made the omelet. I hope it's OK with you" she told him sitting at the opposite side of the table as she took her own share.

He eyed her suspiciously.

"Why did you do this? I told you not to put any effort in this marriage. It means nothing to me. Don't hurt yourself much. I can take care of myself. There's no need for you to do anything for me" he told her looking straight into her eyes.

Kyoko was taken aback.

"I…." she bit her lip.

Hearing nothing from her, his anger rose up.

"What do you want from me? I told you I love someone else, so quit being so caring, keep your promise and stay far away from me! It's better for both of us. We are not real couple and can never be" Kuon said darkly. His mood was sour.

 _"First my father and now this girl, why can't they just leave me alone?"_

Kyoko stared at him in shock.

"If you don't like it then please don't eat it. I'm sorry for upsetting you but healthy breakfast is essential for a working man like you to remain energetic for the rest of the day so please…"

Kuon clenched his hands into tight balls.

"I said don't be so considerate for me and stay the hell away from me! Keep distance! If you want money, I'll give you as much as you want. If you want reputation, you have my family name, if you want branded clothes, expensive gifts, I'll buy everything for you, just… just….!" Kuon snapped causing her to gasp and jump up as her body shivered at the intensity of his cold voice.

Kyoko lowered her eyes. She felt sad for him more than she felt for herself. It was clear that he was suffocating. He was suffering to the point of being angry at just a mere matter. It was hard for him to be with her when his heart desired to be with someone else. After all it wasn't easy to live with a stranger under the same roof. He had so many dreams but all were shattered with her entry in his life.

Taking deep breaths, she tried to console her viciously scratched heart as she addressed him softly.

"I'm sorry for being a burden on you, trust me if I had any choice I would have never married you in the first place but I was compelled. You don't have to worry about me. I would never bother you. I would never interrupt in your private matters, you can live your life the way you want Hizuri-san" pausing she looked at him who was looking at her intensely, with a puzzled expression on his face then continued.

"Why would I want money or anything from you when my arms and legs are working perfectly fine? I can always find a job to earn the needed money on my own" she stated firmly.

He looked at her as if she was a ghost.

 _"Did she just slap me on my face?" he thought._

"Then why do you want to help me? Isn't it a great chance for you to make a move on me, after all I'm the great Hizuri, the dream of every woman so why are you pretending to be nice? Don't you have any desire?" he shot back, refusing to be convinced so easily. He was a tough guy.

He didn't want this girl to get the wrong idea. He was one woman's man. He didn't want to give her any chance to expect much from this loveless, forced marriage. He just wanted to get rid of her as soon as he could. Being around her was so painful for him. It felt as if he'd betrayed the woman he vowed to love with all his heart and soul till the end of his life.

She shook her head. She herself was feeling frustrated now.

 _"What does he take me for? I am not some kind of slut to jump on and claim someone else's man. He's such a jerk! He dares to jump on crazy conclusions without even knowing anything about me! How dare he?!"_

"Why would I make a move on you when I don't even know you? You are just an ordinary man. There's nothing special about you. You don't have to be so upset because I always keep my words. I said it earlier and I would say it again, you would never feel my existence around you. I would keep myself as far away as I could from you till you get your woman and then we would say our good bye, until then you have to adjust because there's no choice"

Kuon felt another slap across his face. The girl was so straightforward. Kuon was snapped to silence.

His eyebrow twitched as he looked at her from head to toe.

She was thin, small and was not a beauty queen with amber eyes and short orange hair and yet she threw it on his face calling him an ordinary man and it wasn't a big deal for her. He, the Hizuri Kuon, CEO of Hizuri Corp, one of the top business organizations all over Japan; after whom the whole Japan was ready to go crazy was just an ordinary man in her eyes. It was the first time someone had said something so honestly that he forgot to breath. He had always met false people in his life who could do anything to attach their names with him just once, Women of Japan craved to sleep with him, dying after his good looks and extraordinary handsome features and yet there she was completely uninterested in him, ready to help him in his matchmaking with another woman whom he claimed to love. He felt himself drawn to her for some reason and he wanted to kick himself for that.

This woman was a pure mystery and he felt afraid of her. He was so scared that he wanted her out of his life as soon as possible before she could do any harm to his heart.

 _"Why do you want to help me? Do you have someone you love? I just don't understand"_

"So… would you tell me anything about her?" he heard her asking him and was snapped back to reality.

He blinked twice before focusing his attention back to her.

"The sooner you tell me about her, the better… I promise I would do anything I can to help you so that you don't have to be bothered by me anymore" Kyoko said sincerely.

Coughing, Kuon almost chocked. Quickly masking his surprise, he pretended to clear his throat as he straightened up.

"May I ask, why are you so eager to help me? I mean you won't get anything in return then why?" he asked curiously.

"I don't want you to lose your genuine smile the way I did" she whispered.

Kuon was left dumbstruck again and the food was long forgotten to get cold.

* * *

Please read and review. Thank you and Take Care. See you all soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own skip beat or any of its characters. It's an AU story.

* * *

 **Unconditional Love**

 **Chapter-3**

* * *

"Hizuri-san?" she called out.

Kuon was pulled out of his shock at her voice.

He coughed then took a long pause. Kyoko thought she might have offended him and was about to apologize when he spoke in a mere whisper.

"I met her once when I was 15, she saved my life. That was when I fell in love with her" he breathed out, his eyes reflecting mixture of joy and sorrow.

Kyoko was amazed.

 _"He fell in love with her at first sight? How sweet!" A light smile appeared on her face as she admired his first love experience._

 _"Falling in love with someone indeed feels great. You are lucky having someone to live for Hizuri-san"_

"Where did you meet her?" she asked curiously.

He closed his eyes, letting his mind travel back in time to fetch out his treasured memories with her.

"I met her in Kyoto when I was out on a vacation with my father"

Kyoko smiled. Looking at him was a pure bliss for her.

The man before her was smiling like an innocent kid. His face was calm and composed. He looked like a pure angel. It surprised her. The man she married had a blank stern face. He was hot tempered and enigmatic. To her, he was like a mechanical human being who didn't know how to smile, totally emotionless and rigid like a rock but this was entirely different. May be he was hopelessly in love with that woman whose memories had managed to bring him back to life. How lucky he was. How lucky that woman was to have a loved one like him. She felt a little envious.

"I see…" she let out a sigh of admiration.

"Can I ask her name if it's OK with you?" She asked hesitating to continue. She was afraid he might get angry at her for interrogating about his love life

Kuon sighed running a hand through his hair. He looked down as if trying to avoid the conversation.

"Did I ask something wrong?" Kyoko was bewildered.

"No, you didn't" he said as his face saddened when he looked at her.

 _"Oh why is he so sad? He was smiling just a moment ago. May be he didn't want to tell but I crossed the line. I shouldn't push him so much. It's not my place to question him about his love life"_

"I… I am sorry. I shouldn't have asked" she stammered swallowing hard. She felt stupid. She just wanted to help him but instead, she made him sad. If he didn't want to talk about it then she would never ask.

Kuon bit his lower lip avoiding her gaze. He looked at the other side, trying to hide his face expression as he breathed out softly.

"I don't know her name. She never told me. She just helped me and walked away. After that, I never got any chance to see her again because I went to America for higher studies. When I returned to Japan, I went to look for her at the same place where we met 10 years ago in a hope for reunion but she wasn't there" he sighed heavily.

"I could never forget her. She was always in my mind. She came into my life out of nowhere, inspired me and gave me a reason to live. I owe my life to her. If I'm alive today then it's all because of her"

Kyoko was dumbfounded. She felt it hard to believe. It wasn't possible. It just couldn't be. How could he possibly fall in love with someone when he didn't even know her name? Was he stupid? No, he wasn't. It was just that he didn't need a reason to fall for her. His love for her was unconditional. A demandless and devotional love which didn't need anything else but a slight meeting only, perfect picture of selfless, pure and lustfree love.

 _"He doesn't know her name and yet he fell in love with her refusing to let anyone else replace her in his heart? I have never seen a man like him before. What a dedicated man! I thought men like him existed in fairy tales only. " Kyoko felt so warm and happy for some reason._

Kyoko was staring at him the whole time unknown of Kuon's embarrassment who was trying his level best to avoid her intense gaze and find something else to look at, the best he could find was the floor of his living room.

"D-Do you think… I'm stupid to love her without knowing anything about her?" Kuon asked, pulling her out of her dream world.

"Eh?" she blinked in confusion then realized what exactly he meant.

She shook her head back and forth in denial.

"No, No, of course not, your love is so pure that I almost felt it hard to believe because I have read it in books only. It's next to impossible but really it's remarkable to know that you love her so much, regardless of who she really is" she smiled at him warmly with her eyes shimmering with pure delight that it caused his heart to skip a beat.

A tint of blush decorated his face before he masked his face expression with his professionalism

 _"What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I blushing in front of her and what the hell is wrong with my stupid heart, beating furiously for a stranger? I think I have gone mad! She is just a stranger. Stop acting like a love sick idiot you stupid heart!"_

Kuon jumped in air and gasped audibly when she leaned forward and placed a gentle hand over his balled one and squeezed it lightly.

"I thought men like you were only a fantasy but I pray to God to let you reconcile with her. You deserve happiness and trust me if your love and devotion for her is pure then she'll be with you soon enough just don't let your hope fall apart." She smiled at him while his heart started to beat faster.

"D-Do you think so?" he asked reluctantly uncertain of his heart condition. He was feeling warm inside all of a sudden. What was wrong with him?

She nodded.

"D-Do you…, do you think she would accept me if she ever came to know that I loved her?" he asked reluctantly.

She nodded again.

"Definitely! No one rejects sincere love. Only few lucky people get the chance to be blessed with true love. She's the lucky one. She will accept you with open arms I'm sure of it" she assured him as her own face saddened.

Their eyes met. They looked into each other's eyes for one full minute before Kuon came back to his senses and looked away.

"Do you have someone you love?" he asked politely to his own surprise.

Kyoko pulled her hand away and leaned back to her seat. She let out a broken sigh.

"I don't. I never loved anyone in my life" she stated sadly.

 _"Or more like no one loved me in my entire life" she corrected in her mind._

It shocked him. _"She has no one? No one at all? I mean she's 21 years old…?" but before he could ask her any further his mobile rang again._

Distracting himself from her, he picked up while Kyoko started eating her breakfast.

"Hello?" he greeted.

"Kuon, I am waiting for you at my place, when are you coming?" Kuu asked.

Kuon's mood changed at once.

Taking a long pause, he spoke in a cold, distant tone, frightening Kyoko.

"I am not coming. Don't bother to wait for me"

"Kuon…" Kuu was stunned at the intensity of his voice. His voice was sharp and impolite.

"Your mother and I are waiting for you… We want to introduce you two to…" but he was cut off in the middle.

"I don't have time for this. I have work to do and Dad, remember if you tried to involve media in my private life then I'd cut my ties with you permanently. I don't want to reveal my marriage to anyone. You have already done enough to mess up my life. I don't need further ups and downs" he stated bluntly while Kuu became tongue tied. Broken hearted at his son's rude behavior, he couldn't bring himself to speak further and hung up.

Kyoko was jaw dropped. She looked at him with wide eyes.

"Hizur-san? Is everything alright?" she asked reluctantly.

He got up ignoring her question, confusing her even more.

"I have to go. I'm getting late…" he said, leaving her alone as he stepped out of the living room.

She stared at his back quizzically, watching him disappear but he came back after few minutes to puzzle her more.

"I forgot to give you this…" he said handing her a spare key.

"Use this if you want to go out" he said before leaving for work.

"But what about breakfast? You didn't even finish it…" she asked him.

"I'm not hungry" she heard him saying. It was clear that he was in foul mood again.

 _"He has intense and creepy mood swings" Kyoko thought in her mind sighing as she took the dishes to Kitchen to wash them._

* * *

 _"Are you crazy? What the hell were you doing trying to drown yourself in the lake!" she scolded as she wiped his messed up face gently with her handkerchief._

 _"I don't want to live anymore. I'm so tired. Why did you save me?" he cried out, letting his bangs fall over his face to hide his despair._

 _"Pull yourself together! Have you gone mad?!" she said shaking his shoulders._

 _"I am sick of being a shadow. I don't even have my own identity. I am nothing. No matter how hard I try it just won't be enough. I can't escape my fate… I can't"_

 _"So it means you'll give up on your life? Is that all? You are being ungrateful. If you are nothing then convert yourself from nothing to everything. Life is full of opportunities. If you miss one, then you'll have another one. Don't be so dishearted" she said brushing away his bangs from his face._

 _"It's all right…don't give up. I don't know about your problem, you must have your reasons to give up on life like this but please value your life. Life is beautiful. It can be harsh sometimes and makes you suffer but it also gives you plenty of happiness." the girl said patting his shoulder in encouragement._

 _The boy looked at the girl with shoulder length raven hair and amber eyes confusingly and then gritted his jaw._

 _"Why should I live when no one needs me? Why should I live when everyone tries to bully me and treats me like an outcast? I have no one to live for. You don't know anything so don't try to comfort me"_

 _She sighed again being unable to persuade him._

 _"Live for yourself. Don't let anyone take your smile away. Change the world with your smile" she smiled at him as she wiped his tears gently with her thumb. "You know what's the best thing about time?" she stated looking at him gently who just stared at her, shocked at her gentleness._

 _He found himself shaking his head violently in denial.  
_

 _"The best thing about time is that it changes. Your bad time will vanish before you know it. You just need to help yourself. Don't let your negative feelings or anyone else take you down. If you can't help yourself, then no one else can help you. Love yourself because there's no one who can be like you. You are you. No one can degrade you or bully you against your will. The only one who can cause you defeat is yourself. Everyone has a unique talent and I believe you have too. I know you are disappointed right now and I don't know the reason but I believe you won't let it devour you. Have faith in yourself. Accept yourself and embrace your life and remember to cherish it to avoid having regrets in future. I'm sure you can do it" She told him politely as she gently rested his head on her shoulder._

 _He was snapped to silence, unable to move and stunned to whatever she was doing. She was just a stranger after all then why?_

 _"It's OK to cry even if you are a boy. Don't be afraid to let it out. It's fine. You will be alright"_

 _His self control left him and he broke down, letting it all out._

 _She gave him time to calm himself down until his sobs faded away into deep sighs._

 _"I hope you'll live a happy and blessed life. I'm getting late. It's almost dark and my mother must be waiting for me. I have to go. Take care of yourself. I hope you won't give up on your life anymore and live for your sake because it's OK to be a little selfish sometimes" she said as she got up and walked away ready to leave when the boy called her from behind._

 _"Wait… why did you save me? You didn't even know me then why did you comfort me like that?"_

 _She turned around to reply with a smile "Helping someone doesn't need a close relationship. Just being human is enough. Take care of yourself"_

 _The boy was amazed to depth of his heart._

 _"At least tell me your name…" he asked again._

 _"I'm a nobody, just a human being like you. It's best for you to focus on your life only. Knowing about me won't get you anywhere. I am no one special you should be bothered to know about" she turned around and left, leaving him to stare at her back from behind._

 _"I don't know who you are but I have never met anyone like you in my entire life. Thank you for helping me. I owe you my life. From now on, I'll live my life for you"_

* * *

"Kuon…"

"Earth to Kuon…." Yashiro called out waving his hand in front of Kuon who was spacing out.

Kuon was pulled out of his thoughts at his personal assistant's voice who was also his best friend.

"What are you doing here in your office? You just got married Kuon. You shouldn't leave her alone like this. It's inappropriate" Yashiro questioned him.

Kuon's anger flared.

 _"Why does everyone just keep reminding me of my marriage?!"_

"I don't want to. I have work to do" he stated seriously.

Yashiro sighed. _"You are going to regret it Kuon sooner or later…"_

"It's not good Kuon, you should spend some time with her. It's not her fault at all that you were forced to marry her. Be polite. She's left everything behind even her hometown. It's new for her and she has no one to rely on. If you won't support her then who else would? You should at least take her somewhere on vacation to distract her mind from feeling alone. Your whole work schedule has been cleared for a week on Takarada-san's order so you don't have to worry about work at all." Yashiro told him with wide smile.

Kuon's eyebrow twitched.

Of course, who else could do such a thing? It could only be Takarada Lory, the matchmaker, love sick idiot mentor of Kuon who always thought of nothing else but love.

 _"That old man!" Kuon was burning inside to shoot him for making stupid schemes against him._

"Go home Kuon because I don't want to get scolded by Takarada-san" Yashiro said while Kuon glared at him but sighed in defeat when Yashiro looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Fine!" Kuon let out being frustrated.

 _"It's Just a fake contract marriage and she knows it very well. She won't involve herself with me so it's harmless to take her on a vacation because she's well aware that I love someone else. She isn't stupid enough to get intimate with someone else's man. Yeah, she seems intelligent, not so brainless so it's fine, it's fine…I can do this. It's just a vacation. It's just a vacation, nothing else. Spending some time with her won't do any harm" Kuon comforted himself as he left his office._

* * *

Please read and review. Thank you and take care. See you soon. I hope you like the chapter. Let me know what you think.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer** **:** I don't own skip beat or any of its characters.

* * *

 **Unconditional Love**

 **Chapter-4**

* * *

 _"SLAP!"_

 _"What's this? You always disappoint me! Can't you make me proud once at least? You are a bad omen! I can't stand your presence anymore. You bring nothing but embarrassment for me! Now get out of my sight and don't show me your face until you manage to score 100% in your exam"_

 _"Mother…" little Kyoko's heart was pierced by her mother's harsh words._

 _"Don't you dare to call me mother if you can't fulfill my expectations you useless child. Your mind is filled with garbage thoughts that's why you never concentrate on your studies properly!"_

 _"But mother I managed to score 91% Aren't you happy…" she tried to defend herself but was slammed to silence when her mother slapped her once again._

 _"How dare you argue with me?! Do you think it's enough? Without perfection, you won't be able to withstand the challenges of life. I want perfection! If you can't be perfect then I won't waste my money on your education anymore. You can help yourself to meet your academic expenses through part time Jobs or doing whatever you want. I don't care if you drop out. I want to see how far you can go without my help. You are good for nothing. You can't do even a single thing without making mistakes. You are useless! A child like you can never make me proud" Saena stated coldly._

 _Tears threatened to escape but Kyoko managed to blink them away using all of her inner strength and plastered a smile on her face. Her cheeks started to sting. She wanted to cry out loud but she wasn't allowed to show her weakness in front of her mother. Saena was someone who never cared for her daughter. No matter what happened, she never supported her. All she ever did was torturing her mentally. She never hesitated to slap her, neither in public nor in private. Kyoko never understood what she did wrong to make her mother mad at her. No matter what she did, how hard she tried to persuade her, Saena was always dissatisfied with her, calling her a bad omen and throwing at her face that she never wanted her to exist in the first place. She didn't know why. It left a deep hole in her heart, searching for answers about her mother's behavior towards her. She was just a child after all. How could she possibly be perfect being such a smile kid? Mistakes were opportunities to learn more and become better weren't they? Then why her mother always slapped her for tiny mistakes instead of treating her with love and care? Didn't she deserve her mother's love? She had always thought that mother was a reflection of God's mercy but Saena was complete opposite. If Saena didn't want her then she could give her for adoption but why did she keep torturing her without any reason? She never understood that and It made her heart deeply scared._

 _"Mother, I am sorry…." She whispered softly._

 _"I don't want your apology. I want result. Get lost and study properly. If you couldn't score perfectly next time then you would be grounded for a whole week!" Saena ordered in dismissing tone._

* * *

"I would never understand why you hated me so much mother. Was it because of father? You didn't even tell me who my father was. Didn't I have the right to know about my father? You forced me for everything, never bothered to ask me what I really wanted. I just wanted little bit of your love, nothing else. Was it that difficult to give? I don't know what exactly I learned from you mother but I know one thing for sure that If I ever became a mother, I won't let anyone hurt my children, not even myself because I'm not you. I would never be cruel and heartless to anyone in my life. My behavior differentiates me from you." Kyoko's head suddenly started hurting, thinking about her mother.

 _"I'll never bother you again mother. You finally got rid of me_ " her heart was hurting but she needed to be brave. She couldn't let her past sufferings be in the way of her future. She had successfully made it this far so definitely she could go on with her life fearlessly without any help. After all she had been alone in her entire life, fighting for survival. For her mother, she never existed, even if she did, she never cherished her or paid any attention to her. She was just a nobody for her mother.

She sighed unable to kick away her depressing thoughts. She was feeling tired after doing all the chores from cleaning the apartment to doing the laundry then buying the groceries. She sat on the couch in the living room to catch her breath. She was so tired that she started to feel sleepy.

 _"All done!" the only thing that's left is looking for a job. I have to find a job as soon as possible. I can't be a burden on him forever. I need money to afford my own apartment. I can't bring myself to overstay his hospitality. At least he's kind enough not to throw me out of his house when he has absolutely no interest in this marriage"_

* * *

"Why didn't they come Kuu? Didn't you tell him that we were waiting for him?" Julie asked with teary eyes.

Kuu sighed sadly.

"I'm sorry honey but he refused to come" Kuu said hiding his disappointment and sorrow.

"What...?" Julie was fully in tears now. "But I want to meet them, I want to see my son Kuu"

Kuu wrapped his arms around his wife and consoled her by rubbing her back gently.

"I think we should give him some space Julie. Although, I wanted nothing but his happiness and yet I managed to drag him away from us. He is furious right now so we shouldn't push him any further. I'm afraid he might leave us forever"

Julie gasped and hugged Kuu tightly and wept while Kuu gently patted her back.

"He's angry with me because I forced him to marry Kyoko. It's all my fault Julie. I am afraid Kyoko won't be able to have a happy life with him when he's not even ready to accept her. I have ruined two lives. I didn't want my son to hate me but I guess it's too late. He's already far away from us. I don't know what to do anymore" Kuu sounded defeated.

 _"Don't make me wait too long Kuon, come back to me while I'm alive. I need you. I miss you so much"_

* * *

 **Ishibashi Corp**

 **Job Vacancy:** Accounting Manager Required on Internship for 6 months.

 **Age Limit** : 21-30

 **Minimum Qualification:** Bachelor's Degree in business.

 **Skill Required:** English Language Proficiency, Excellent Communication Skills, Ethical Behavior, Ability to work under pressure.

 **Last date to Apply** : 28 January

 **Note:** We need hard workers and devoting employees, If the employee worked keenly and met our expectations then he/she would be hired permanently for the above mentioned post. Rewards system will be evaluated on the basis of overall performance of the employee. The short listed candidates will be called for an interview after completion of recruitment process so make sure to provide your original personal details to avoid any inconvenience.

 **Preference will be given to fresh graduates with promising educational record**

Kyoko read all the instructions and details carefully before filling the online job application form. She reviewed it thoroughly before clicking the submit button.

She breathed out deeply once she was done.

 _"I have finally applied for the job. I hope he won't mind me using his computer. I'll tell him later after he gets back home. I just hope to get the job"_

* * *

Sitting in his car, in parking lot of his apartment complex, resting his head over the steering wheel, Kuon was fighting with his inner-self.

 _"This marriage is meaningless. How am I supposed to just go home and ask her to go with me on a vacation? I have told her to stay away from me then why would she agree to accompany a stranger? I don't know how to ask her. It's just a contract marriage, fake one, a marriage in paper only which holds no value for me and also not for her perhaps..." Kuon wanted to pull his hair out, not knowing what to do. He wanted to close his eyes and fall into deep sleep never to wake up again._

 _"I just want to be with you. I just want to see you again. Is it too much to ask? Where are you? Come back to me please. Waiting for you is making me restless" he pleaded in his mind._

 _"What if she loves someone else? What if she's already married to someone she loves?" His mind reasoned with him, stabbing his heart with unknown fear._

Quickly shoving away his fear, he shook his head to get rid of his horrible thoughts.

 _"No, No, she won't be married. She won't be. God can't be that cruel to me. My love for her is sincere. I have devoted myself to her in my entire life. It can't happen until I get the chance to see her again and at least tell her how I feel about her. Yes, it won't happen. I can't lose hope" he encouraged himself._

climbing off his car, he got into the elevator letting his thoughts rest for a while as he reached his apartment floor.

Using his card key, Koun opened the door and entered the apartment.

Taking off his shoes, he went straight to his living room and was stunned to see his 'wife' resting on the couch with her eyes closed.

The sight before him pulled his heart strings.

She looked so innocent, so pure with a light smile on her face. Kuon found it tempting, walking towards her spell bounded, Kuon was about to touch her face when she slowly opened her eyes.

It broke the spell and he backed away like a jolt of thunder light and straightened up.

"You came home early?" she asked softly.

"Y-Yeah" he couldn't help but stutter.

"Let me make something for you to eat. You didn't even finish your breakfast..." she said softly as she tried to get up but Kuon stopped her by holding up a hand.

"No need for you to do that. I'm not that hungry. I have already had some snacks from a convenient store" he dismissed her.

"Ah... OK" Kyoko went silent.

Clearing his throat and mustering all of his mighty strength, Kuon spoke as gently as he could.

"Pack your bags. We are going on a vacation"

Kyoko was caught off guard.

 _"Why does he want to go on a vacation with me? He asked me to stay far away then why the sudden change? He doesn't want anyone to acknowledge our wedding then why...? Why is he ordering me around like this? What's the meaning of this? This man is so complicated. First, he tells me to stay away then orders me to go on a vacation with him! What does he exactly want?"_

Kyoko looked at him with confusion.

"Why? I don't want to go anywhere with you. Didn't you say to keep our marriage hidden? If we go out together then wouldn't it get attention? What about the woman you love?" she found herself questioning him but then mentally kicked herself when she noticed his mood turning darker.

"Look, I am not dying to spend time with you, but I don't want my close friends to get suspicious about our marriage. Don't worry I don't have any plans to do anything to you. I'm absolutely uninterested. I need to make sure no one doubts that it's fake marriage so you have to play along. Pretend to be my wife just like you promised until we get divorced. I won't harm you. I can even pay you in the end if you like for being my fake wife, you know what I mean..."

Kyoko's heart twisted. She felt as if her heart just got dislocated. She knew she wasn't anything for him. Her existence didn't matter to him one bit. It was fine with her. She didn't mind. What hurt her the most was that he thought so cheap of her to pay for her selfless services. She was being kind and trying the best way she could to help him be with the woman he loved but he thought so lowly of her. It hurt her so deeply. Was she asking him for money? Did she throw herself on him and begged him to accept her as his wife? She was not the type to claim someone else's man as hers. She was a woman of dignity. Did she do or say anything wrong to cause him get the wrong idea about her? Was he doubting her intentions? Why the sudden change of behavior? He was behaving fine in the morning then what happened all of a sudden?

"No need Hizuri-san, I don't want your money. I can earn it myself. I have already applied for the job and hopefully I'd get it. You just have to adjust with me until I can move out and afford my own apartment"

He didn't expect that to come. It was like a blow on his face. She managed to shut him up again. Damn, she was so honest and straightforward that it frightened him.

"I.. didn't mean to... I..." but she cut him off.

"Where to?" she asked and he looked away embarrassed at his outburst.

"Kyoto..." he muttered.

"OK" she let out and left him alone to pack her stuff.

Frustrated at himself for an unknown reason, he threw his tie and coat on the couch.

 _"Damn I didn't mean to be so blunt! What's wrong with me? She's still a human being if not my wife... what's wrong with you Kuon?" he scolded himself._

Kyoko packed her bag quietly and Kuon did his and soon they both left for their destination.

* * *

The drive continued in silence. No one spoke a single word. Koun kept his gaze focused on the road whereas Kyoko kept looking out the window, admiring the scenery. It took them almost 3 to 4 hours to reach Kyoto.

"Is there any specific place where you want to stay?" he finally broke the silence.

"Anywhere is fine" she replied without turning to look at him.

"Don't you have any favorite place? it's your home town after all" he asked again.

 _"I can't visit my mother's place. She has forbidden me to see her"_

Sighing heavily, she mumbled softly. "Fuwa Inn"

He nodded as he drove towards the place while Kyoko rested her head against her seat and drifted off to sleep.

 _"I hope I'll get to see you again. I won't give up until then. I have come back to look for you. I hope you are doing well"_

* * *

Sho was pissed off. He wanted to kick the nearest thing available. He wanted to punch someone to death.

He had called the witch mother of Kyoko in a hope to know how she was doing but she dropped the bomb of her marriage on him. He was furious and wanted to kill the old hag with his own bare hands.

Slamming the door wide open, Sho made his way towards his mother and shouted at the highest pitch.

"How can you let it happen? Didn't you want her to marry me? How could you let another man marry her?" he spat, demanding his answers.

Fuwa Okami-san, spun around, shocked at the sudden appearance of his son after a long time.

He was looking at her with murderous eyes.

She sighed.

"So you finally decided to pay us a visit? Didn't you leave forever? What do you want now? If you are here to waste my time then I suggest you to leave!" she ordered calmly.

"Why didn't you protest... why did you let her marry another man?" he questioned seriously.

His mother sighed.

Sho was as arrogant and stubborn as always. He hadn't changed. He still claimed Kyoko as his possession after being so cold and indifferent to her.

"I am not her keeper Sho, she's the owner of her own life and besides it was her mother's decision. She's married and it's none of your business now. Leave her alone. Don't make her life more tougher than it already is. You don't deserve her after rejecting her and you don't have any place here either so leave!"

Sho's blood boiled to its limit.

"She belongs to me only! She was head over heels in love with me then how could she marry someone else? I won't accept it. Never! Let me meet her. She's here with her husband isn't she? let me see her! I won't leave without her. I'll take her with me!" Sho roared as he walked passed his mother and kicked the door open to intrude the privacy of Kyoko and Kuon who were resting, sitting on the couch after a long drive.

"Kyoko! Come with me! You belong to me only!" Sho demanded as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her out with him forcibly.

Kyoko froze seeing him, she couldn't react for a while. Kuon was puzzled, unable to register the sudden interruption. He stared blankly at the unknown man who just came out of nowhere and manhandled his 'wife' In his daze, he sat there on the couch frozen, paralyzed to make any move.

Recovering from her shock, Kyoko broke her wrist free from his deadly grip and glared at him, facing him while looking straight into his eyes.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean Shoutaro? It's rude to Infringe someone's privacy" She stated firmly.

"How dare you to marry another man after vowing your love to me? Did you forget who do you belong to?" Sho barked being outrageous.

Kyoko frowned.

"My private life is none of your business" she said putting on a calm composure which added fuel to fire.

"It's my business! Everything that's related to you is my business!" Sho stated darkly.

Kyoko laughed coldly, narrowing her eyes.

"I belong to no one else but myself. Stop acting stupid. I'm not your toy. Go and play with someone else." she warned him.

Sho's anger flared.

"Who do you think you are you... you... slut!" he mocked her and was about to hit her when Kyoko caught his hand in the middle, twisting it with bone crushing grip. Sho winced in pain. "Damn you woman!" he shouted but it went unnoticed by her.

"Never ever try to raise your hand on me again or else you won't be able to use it for the rest of your life!" She pierced him with her deadly glare and shove him away from her but he wasn't ready to listen being so stubborn that he was.

"I won't leave without you!" he growled but his anger flared when Kuon's dark voice came from behind.

"You should leave her alone punk!. It's clear that she doesn't want you around so don't disregard yourself any further by being so stubborn"

Sho's anger touched the seventh sky when he saw Kuon coming towards him like a predator.

Forgetting about Kyoko, Sho attacked Kuon.

"So you are the one she married? No wonder her mother found a big shot for her being a gold digger." Sho let his jealousy out.

Kuon shielded Kyoko, shooting arrows of his deadly glare at the unethical blonde. The demon lord was out to hunt his prey.

Watching them standing together, side by side put his anger on flame and Sho burst out.

"You were after me like a stray dog, begging for my attention and when you got someone better you switched your taste, you are quite something bitch! Going from one man to another one like that..." then he paused and pointed a finger at Kuon.

"Don't you know, her mother sold her to you for money? She's worthless for you. It's better for you to get rid of her. She can be with anyone for money but the amount should be promising" Sho's mind was senseless.

Kuon kept his rage at bay. His own anger was rising up and he needed desperately to release it. How could he claim someone as his and then shamelessly call her slut and insult her so openly? What kind of love was that? Was he insane? He must have hit his head somewhere for being crazy like that. That man had no manners at all.

"It's none of your concern Mr, who ever you are. If you want to keep walking on your legs then I suggest you to leave because whether you like it or not she's my wife and I have all the rights to break your bones for abusing her! Kuon's darkness was coming out, ready to engulf the bastard before him but Sho ignored him and decided to hit on Kyoko once more, who seemed to be amazingly calm and composed despite of his crushing blows over her character.

"If you can sell yourself to him for money, then you won't mind sleeping with me right? Tell me how much you want? Although you are plain, boring, unworthy, a nobody with no sex appeal but I am willing to pay as much as you want to satisfy your long lasting desire of being in my arms. It's better for you to be in my bed than being a sex slave of a stranger isn't it Kyoko?" Sho smirked darkly at Kyoko who just shrugged and exhaled deeply.

Kuon was stunned.

What was wrong with that man? What kind of psycho he was to torment her dignity? And how could she act so calm when he was purposely hitting on her? A second ago, he was declaring his love for her but now he was directly calling her a whore? What a sick man! Kuon wanted to puke by just looking at his face. What a Jerk!

Kuon was about to punch that idiot when Fuwa Taisho's voice roared, sending shivers of horror down his spine.

"Fuwa Shoutaro, leave this instant! You are banned to enter my house! Don't show me your face again. You aren't my son anymore so your appearance is no longer welcomed here. If you tried to disobey then you'd find yourself behind the bars!" Taisho ordered in a dismissing tone.

Gritting his teeth, Sho was left with no choice but to leave, glaring at Kuon and Kyoko.

"Kyoko-chan, return to your room with your husband!" Taisho told them and without any second glace at Sho, he returned to his work.

Kyoko went to her room and Kuon quietly followed, his mind still unable to process the scene that had been created just a moment ago.

* * *

An hour passed and Kuon and Kyoko remained silent. No one uttered a word. Both were drowned in their own thoughts then Kyoko suddenly stood up startling him.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going out for a walk" she told him, taking in a deep breath.

 _"It's not good to leave her alone after all that happened. That punk might attack her again"_ Kuon got up as well and asked reluctantly.

"May I join you?"

Kyoko just nodded without looking at him and Kuon silently followed her out, having no courage to question her about that man who didn't even think before insulting her publicly.

They walked side by side. Kuon was unable to guess what she was thinking. Her face was blank and she didn't seem like crying. It was like his words had no impact on her.

Unable to take the dead silence between them, Kuon finally gathered his courage and dared to ask her what had been haunting his mind for past an hour.

"Why didn't you defend yourself? He openly insulted you." he asked hoping she won't mind him being so personal.

"I don't like to argue with boneheads. Just because he says I'm a whore, I won't become one. It doesn't matter what he says or thinks about me" she quietly stated. Kuon was impressed to know how mature she was and was tempted to ask more.

"H-He said...he said you loved him? Is it true?" He found himself being more personal with her. Although it wasn't his place to ask her that.

Kyoko stopped walking and turned to face him. Kuon tensed, sensing that he might have crossed his line.

"How can I love someone like him who doesn't even respect me? He might be my childhood crush but nothing else. He never paid attention to me and always was so cold and abusive towards me. Little by little, I realized that he would never love me so I got over him and let him go."

Koun turned stiff. He was surprised at the revelation.

"You never tried to fight for his love? Why did you give up on him? Your love could change him though..." Kuon asked again, as they resumed their walk.

"He never loved me so it was useless. Begging him to love me back could never bring any good for me. I don't like to force people and besides love can never be forced on anyone. It just happens on its own. Begging him to stay with me and accept me in his life could only drag him away from me. I believe that there's someone who's meant for you only. Your true soul mate and when the right time comes, your soul mate will find you himself so there's no need for me to rush and throw myself at the next approachable guy"

Kuon was beyond impressed. It shook him to the core. He found his heart starting to pound uncontrollably. He was mesmerized by her so in order to distract himself from her, he turned his gaze away, looking around him but the familiar route made him frozen in place.

He stared at the familiar place as his eyes popped out.

 _"Same route... the clearing... the familiar lake... no it can't be..." his voice gave up the ability to speak and he suddenly turned mute._

"W-Wh-Where are we going...?" he asked to clear his doubt.

"To a place very special to me. I always go there when I feel little down to cheer myself up. It's my secret hide out..." he heard her saying before his mind stopped functioning.

 _"How is this possible? She has orange hair then how? How does she know about this place? It's the place where I met her years ago. I-It can't be... no one knows about this place except me... It's where I tried to drown myself and she saved me... Does that mean it's her? But how? W-Why didn't I recognize her?"_

Kuon suddenly stumbled as his body became numb. His legs went weak, and he fell on his knees questioning himself.

 _"She was with me this whole time and I didn't even recognize her? On top of everything, I rejected her and managed to be in her bad books? What am I going to do now?" Kuon felt sever headache coming._

* * *

Please read and review and let me know how you feel. I hope you enjoy the chapter and it's long enough to make it up to all previous short updates.

Thanks. Take Care. Next update will be after my final term exams are over. So please wait with patience. I'll update as soon as I could.

Thanks for the support.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own skip beat or any of its characters. It's an AU story.

* * *

 **Unconditional Love**

 **Chapter-5**

* * *

 _"It can't be… it can't be…. It's her? How…? Is fate playing a game with me? Why didn't I recognize her?"_

Kuon's whole being was shaken. His entire being was broken into pieces. His mental breakdown was preventing him to sink in whatever was going on around him. His heart started beating wildly. His head was spinning. His senses were dazed and fuzzy. The whole world suddenly vanished for him and his entire focal point was her only.

 _"It's her…"_ his heart soared with joy.

 _"I have finally found her"_ his chest swelled with delight. His heart was demanding to come out of rib cage but his happiness was short lived.

 _"I managed to push her away from me… She might never believe me even if I told her that she's the one I loved" his face fell and he gripped his chest tightly._

When Kyoko saw Kuon on his knees and clenching his chest, she panicked and rushed to his side.

"Hizuri-san, are you OK?" she asked worriedly, bending down.

Kuon looked up at her with sad eyes. He was shaking.

"Are you in pain?" She asked again when he didn't answer. She rubbed his chest and then his back in order to relieve any pain that he was feeling but he flinched.

 _"Her gentle touch… she comforted me the same way back then without knowing who I was…Who could be that selfless except her? Why didn't I get it sooner? How many people have amber eyes in Japan? It's rare trait. Oh God, Why?"_

Kyoko halted at once to whatever she was doing. "I am sorry; I didn't mean to touch you"

"Silence…" She met with silence again.

 _"What happened to him? Is he alright…?"_

"Hizuri-san?" she gently called out again when he remained silent and kept staring into the depth of her amber eyes.

Giving him a hand, she gently helped him get up.

"Are you alright?" she asked with immense concern now. To him, her voice felt coming from afar. His emotions were betraying his cool façade and he looked like he was about to cry.

 _"I loved someone too much that I completely ignored the existence of another one who turned out to be the one I had been looking for my entire life. I don't know if she would accept me if I told her the truth. Why would she accept me when I rejected her so brusquely the first day of marriage? Do I really deserve her? I don't know how would she react if she realized how I truly felt about her" Kuon's heart was sinking._

Not knowing what to do, she took his hand and sat on the cool grass by the lake. Kuon just let her lead absentmindedly.

Kyoko exhaled deeply and looked at him with a smile.

"Are you missing her?" she inquired.

Kuon jerked his head up, shocked _"Did she read my mind?"_

Afraid and hesitant, she took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It will be alright. I know it's difficult for you to be with me when you love someone else. It's like a pure torture for you I know, but seriously you don't have to be worried I…. but she went into stunned silence when Kuon rested his head over her shoulder.

She stiffened but relaxed when he whispered softly.

"Just for a little while"

 _"I think he's feeling down" Kyoko thought sadly._

Letting him have his moment for a while, Kyoko stroked his hair gently. Kuon wanted to melt right away. It was the touch he had missed his whole life. He had starved for it. He was dying to see her just once but couldn't recognize her when she was right there with him. Fate had played a twisted game with him. She came back into his life as his wife but obliviously he rejected her and pushed her away from him, damaging his chances to be with her. How unfortunate! He kept looking for unconditional love throughout his life but when it came, he turned blind and kicked it away.

 _"She is always so comforting even with strangers, she behaves so politely and yet I am her complete opposite, an outrageous bastard!"_

Kuon didn't want this moment to end. He wanted to stop the time right there to be with her like that but he had to pull away or else she could get suspicious of his weird behavior.

"Thanks…" he mumbled as he pulled away reluctantly.

"No problem" she smiled at him.

Kuon stared at the clear water reminding him of his past. It was the place where he tried to end his life but the woman sitting next to him came and saved him, giving him a new direction and motive to live.

She was indeed different. Back then, she helped him without demanding anything in return and now she had promised him to find the love of his life, regardless of being his wife. Did she ever demand anything for herself at all? He was touched. He was impressed. He was overwhelming. It also made him curious about her.

Mustering his courage to start the conversation, Kuon cleared his throat to get her attention.

"Your hair color, hmmm… it's quite unique. Is it natural?" he inquired holding his breath in anticipation. He was dying to clear the last peck of his doubt.

"Huh?" Kyoko raised an eyebrow at his sudden question.

"No, my natural hair color is black. I cut my hair and dyed them to give myself a new refreshing start"

Kuon's heart lifted higher than it ever had before. It was her. It was really her, the woman he fell in love with 10 years ago. His heart was celebrating and dancing with joy. He wanted nothing but to embrace her and tell her everything but he couldn't rush. Any reckless move and he could lose her. He didn't want that. He needed to be patient.

"I see" he said.

Kyoko picked up a stone and threw it into the lake and smiled when the ripples formed.

Kuon's lips curved into genuine smile watching her smiling like a kid. She looked so breathtaking.

"S-So, it's your secret hide out?" he inquired although he himself knew it.

"Yeah, this place calms me down and helps me forget about my worries. I used to come here whenever I felt down and needed to be alone. The pure silence and natural beauty of this place gives me warmth inside" She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

"I love this place… thank you for sharing it with me" he told her. She nodded in response.

 _"I'll tell you soon. I just don't want to lose you by recklessly making foolish mistakes again. I'll tell you soon" he vowed in his mind._

When they came back, it was already 8 PM so they had their dinner and went straight to their room to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, when Kuon woke up, his eyes pained when he saw her sleeping on the floor again. She looked so innocent and so pure that his heart couldn't help but skip a beat.

Brushing away some hair from her face, he bent down and kissed her forehead lightly, careful enough not to wake her up.

 _"How much I want to tell you that you are the one I love but telling you too soon would drag you away from me. You won't believe me or maybe you won't accept my feelings after the way I have treated you. Please wait and don't leave till the right time comes so that I can confess to you properly please?" He begged in his mind._

* * *

"Can I talk to you for a bit if it's no trouble?" Kyoko asked Okami-san.

"Sure why not, come in" she gestured at her with a soft smile.

Kyoko practically ran to her and hugged her tightly.

Fuwa Okami-san was surprised at first but then she returned the hug warmly.

"Thank you so much for looking after me all those years. I'm blessed having a mother like you in my life. Thank you for everything" She couldn't hold back her emotions anymore.

Okami-san rubbed her back gently. "There's no need to thank me my child. I should be apologizing to you for being unable to do anything. Your mother tortured you in front of my eyes and yet I couldn't do anything. I couldn't stand up for you and I am deeply sorry for that. Please forgive me and my son too for making your life difficult" Okami-san's eyes watered.

Kyoko pulled away and wiped her eyes.

"You are my mother and mother shouldn't apologize Okami-san. Whatever good I've learned, it's all because of you. You were strict for my own good. I just hope for my mother to come back to her senses. No matter how badly she treats me, she's still my mother. I can be angry at her but I can't hate her"

Fuwa Okami-san smiled and kissed her cheek softly.

"Be blessed always my child. I wish you good luck in life. I am glad you came to pay me a visit."

"Thank you Okami-san…" she smiled softly at the woman who always embraced her with motherly affection.

* * *

The whole week flew away quickly and the day of their departure came. Kyoko helped Okami-san and Taisho in running the restaurant despite of their protests while Kuon remained in his room, deep in thoughts. He frequently came downstairs and talked to Taisho and then vanished to his room again.

It was like something was bothering him and Kyoko could feel it. The ride back home was silent as well. Kuon didn't talk much. He started his routine work and Kyoko did hers. Nothing changed at all but there was one difference. Kuon stopped shouting at her. He wasn't rude to her at all but not so frank either. He stopped protesting and started to eat the meals she made. It was like he had started to cooperate with her but there was also noticeable change in his personality.

His face was pale, he looked sad, lost and absentminded as if something was engulfing him. It worried her but she didn't dare to ask what was wrong because she didn't want to make him angry.

* * *

"Stop it Kuon! Why are you drinking so much…? Did something happen?" Yashiro shouted at his friend as he tried to snatch away the glass of beer from him

"Nothing happened, I just feel like drinking today" he replied blankly. His mind was blurred.

"KUON! You are drinking in your office. What's wrong with you? Yashiro asked again but he was ignored.

Previous event were playing like flash back in Kuon's mind.

 _"Stay away from me…. This marriage is meaningless for me because my heart already belongs to someone else therefore I can't accept you in my life…"_

 _"I am not dying to spend time with you…"_

 _"Pretend to be my wife… I'll pay you for it if you want…"_

 _"I am totally uninterested in this marriage…"_

 _"I love someone else that's why I can't accept you…"_

 _"Divorce…"_

 _"Moving out..."_

His mind was totally messed up. His heart was doomed; the only cure he found to rest in peace was drinking till he lost his conscious.

 _"I have screwed up. How am I supposed to confess to her now?" He gulped another glass in one sip._

 _"What if she really moved out and divorced me…? I don't want her to leave and I can't tell her so soon either… What am I going to do?"_

"OK that's it" Yashiro's had it enough. It was limit for him. He snatched the beer away and placed it on the table away from his reach.

Giving him a hand, he helped him get up.

"I'm driving you back home" Yashiro said. He was really annoyed at his stupid friend.

Kuon didn't say anything and quietly gave in.

* * *

Kyoko had just finished cooking dinner and was turning the stove off when the door bell rang.

"Who could it be at this time of hour?" She wondered.

Washing her hands, she went to open the door and was astonished to see Yashiro supporting a drunken Kuon.

"What happened to him?" she asked Yashiro quizzically.

He shook his head.

"I don't know Kyoko-chan, he just kept drinking and refused to tell me anything. Something is definitely bothering him. Please take care of him. I leave him in your care" Yashiro said as he handed Kuon to Kyoko and left, not wanting to intrude their privacy.

Kyoko closed the door and helped Kuon taking him to his bed room.

She laid him down on the bed and pulled the blanket over him and was about to leave when he caught her hand.

She turned her head to look at him, who was glancing at her sadly.

She sat beside him, leaving enough distance between them "You look pale Hizuri-san, what's wrong? Is there something bothering you?" she asked as she lifted her hand and brushed his bangs away from his face.

"Don't go…" he whispered.

Kyoko was startled.

 _"What is he talking about…?"_

A tear streamed down his cheek.

Kyoko's eyes widened. He looked so vulnerable at that moment. It almost pulled her heart out. It was rare watching a tough guy like him crying like that. It surprised her. Something was definitely wrong. He didn't look like himself.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" she wiped away his tear gently.

"Don't leave… I miss you so much…" he mumbled again with his eyes fixed on her as he caressed her cheek.

Kyoko's heart started beating like a drum. She could hear her heart beat in her ear.

 _"He misses me? Huh? What's going on? What's with him? He's been acting weird lately or may be he has drunk too much..."_

Kyoko was puzzled. He was acting really strange then it hit her.

 _"He's missing her… the woman he loves…that's why he's crying, that's why he's so bothered" she felt sad for him._

But Kyoko's eyes went round in shock when he pulled her down for a tight embrace.

"Hizuri-san…" Kyoko froze but turned into a stone when he pulled away and crashed his lips over hers.

"I missed you so much… Don't leave me…." he whispered against his lips.

While Kyoko's mind was screaming at her _"What's going on…? He's...kissing...me...? He Is Kissing Me?!"_

Using her small hands she tried to push him away but he pulled her even more closer and kissed her deeper than before

"Hizuri-san… please stop, I'm not her… I am not her… I'm not the woman you love…hmmmppphh" she tried to speak but he swallowed her words with another passionate kiss.

* * *

Please read and review and let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

See you soon. Take Care


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I don't own skip beat or any of its characters. It's an AU story.

* * *

 **Unconditional Love**

 **Chapter-6**

* * *

"Hizuri-san, please stop, what are you doing? I'm not her!"Kyoko struggled for freedom but the man on top of her refused to give her an escape route and kept kissing her fiercely.

Kyoko was breathless, trapped underneath his strong muscular body. Kyoko was strong but despite of using all of her strength, she was powerless to disentangle herself from the man who was pinning her down. That man weighted a ton despite of his poor eating habits.

When the need of air forced him to apart from her, he leaned back to look into her eyes, panting harshly. His gaze reflecting grief and desperation infiltrated her soul.

 _"Thumb…. Thumb…Thumb…" Kyoko's heart was in trouble._

With trembling hands, he cupped her face with one hand and looked at her with gentleness that no one else had shown her before. Her heart jumped into her throat and she swallowed hard when her throat suddenly went dry. She wanted to turn her head aside and avoid those tender eyes reflecting something that wasn't meant for her but his green orbs kept her captivated. She found herself chained firmly under his spell.

"I kept you safe in my heart like a precious treasure. I never forgot about you. You were always in my mind. The moment you entered in my life, it changed. My heart refused to embrace someone else. My eyes declined to look at another woman. I love you… I love you so much with all my heart and soul. Please don't leave me. My heart won't be able to accept someone else because it beats for you only…." Kuon's voice was shaking, overwhelming with long suppressed emotions and his eyes deep like ocean filled with tears meant for the woman he loved who was none other than Kyoko, but she was absolutely oblivious of the fact. His heart warming confession was like a sharp arrow aiming at Kyoko's poor heart.

She closed her eyes feeling sudden urge to cry.

 _"He's hallucinating. His heart is aching for her that's why he's imagining me as her. How can I come between those two? It will be a shame to separate him from her. I have no right to even think about spending my life with him because he isn't mine. I can't dare. If I did, God would never forgive me. Purity and sincerity of his love for her makes me cry. Men like him are rare. How I wish someone could love me like that even in my dream but I don't have that kind of luck. That woman is really lucky and I have no right to snatch her man away when he thinks about her only. I have to keep myself away from him. I don't deserve him" But Kyoko was pulled out of her thoughts when he kissed her again so tenderly and so lovingly, holding her so softly as if she was something who could break if he put intense pressure._

"I love you so much. Please don't leave me. I can't imagine my life without you" That was it. Kyoko couldn't take it anymore.

Gathering her whole power, Kyoko pushed him away by placing her hand over his chest, applying all the force she could assemble.

Kuon was detached from her, his lips still trying to reach out for her and kiss her but she pushed him away again and he was rolled back to bed lying on his back away from her.

"I'm sorry but I am not her…" she said sobbing as she lifted her hand to wipe away her tears that fell from her eyes without her notice.

There was no response. When Kyoko looked at his side, he was already asleep.

She sighed.

 _"This is wrong. I can't stay with him in same room. He doesn't belong to me. There's no place for making mistakes in this relationship. He deserves to be with his loved one not me. His heart, soul, body, his entire being is meant for her only. I have no share in it. I have to stick to my words and stay away from him. You can't let it happen again Kyoko, you can't…"_ Kyoko climbed off his bed and went to his closet to take her stuff out.

She grabbed her stuff and came to his guest room.

"Unless we break apart, I'll live as a guest in your house Hizuri-san..."

She lay down on the bed, turning off the lights as she pleaded for the sleep to take over her but instead she spent the whole night turning and tossing in bed.

* * *

Kuon woke up at the hammering sound of his alarm clock. _"What the hell!"_ he shouted as he punched the clock to shut it up but instead, his powerful punch broke it.

He groaned as throbbing pain hit his head and forced him to lie down again, holding his head in his hand.

"Damn, it's hurting like hell! What the hell happened?" he cursed under his breath as he tried to remember the cause of that terrible headache.

He looked around him but found no traces of Kyoko. His closet was wide open.

He panicked and jumped out of his bed, ready to look for her when the horrible headache decided to punch him back. He closed his eyes, trying his best to bear up the pain that was torturing him. His head felt really heavy.

Suppressing the pain, he ran to his closet to check it out. Her stuff was gone. He went pale. _"Where did she go? What happened? Did I do something wrong? Did she leave?"_ He tried to remember previous night events, pressurizing his mind to think clearly.

The last thing he could remember was drinking and kissing her…

 _"Oh God!"_ alarmed he ran out to search for her and breathed in relief when he found her in the kitchen cooking breakfast.

"Thank God!" He sighed in relief.

Kyoko stiffened feeling his presence behind her.

She busied herself in chopping the vegetables. Kuon knew his presence was troubling her but he had to talk to her.

Afraid of her reaction, he greeted her softly. "Good morning"

Kyoko flinched at his voice, halting her work and it didn't go unnoticed by him.

 _"Damn it, I messed up again! She is scared of me" Kuon cursed himself._

"Morning" she greeted back distantly.

"Breakfast will be ready in an hour, please go fresh up until then" she told him without turning around to face him.

 _"I don't know how to face her but I have to apologize for my reckless behavior. I am just glad she didn't leave, running away from me but why did she take her stuff out of the room then?" Kuon's questioned himself._

Letting her have some space he decided to leave and went to bathroom to take a shower.

Kyoko let out a breath she didn't know she was holding when he left.

 _"I don't know what to do. I don't have the heart to face him. I don't want to discuss about last night. Does he remember anything? I guess not… because he was drunk but just hearing his voice makes me embarrassed and feel uncomfortable. I don't know what to do. I just hope he won't bring up the topic because I really don't know how to handle it"_ Kyoko's mind was in a fix. With a heavy heart, she prepared their breakfast, trying her best to put her thoughts aside.

* * *

Kyoko came into living room holding dishes in her hands. Kuon was already there, ready for work and waiting for her.

Plastering a calm face, she placed the dishes on the table and served him quietly.

Kuon's heart was beating faster than it could ever be.

He was silent but stealing glancing of her face from the corner of his eyes. His face fell when he noticed her looking at everything but him. Sitting as far from him as she could. It pained him.

She was avoiding him. He knew it and he himself was responsible for it.

"Mogami-san, I…" he tried to speak but Kyoko cut him off.

"I'll go and make some coffee" she flew out of the living room with supernatural speed.

A pang of hurt was the only thing he was feeling at that moment.

She was avoiding him and it was clear. Suddenly he felt lack of appetite.

"I confessed to her last night absentmindedly and I guess she took the wrong idea…" he sighed " _well of course she would misunderstand because she doesn't know that she's the one you love, you idiot! You've managed to complicate things as always being a fool that you are! Who told you to drink that much? You are such a pain in the neck! Now put up with the consequences, you really deserve it, you jerk!" His mind screamed at him._

He sighed again and straightened up when Kyoko appeared holding two cups of coffee in her hands.

She gave one to him and sat down to her place as she started to eat and sipped her coffee quietly.

Kuon did the same. He finished his breakfast in awkward silence. He looked physically calm but he was mentally tearing apart. The silence was killing him. Kyoko kept herself focused to her food and didn't look at him, not even once. It was bothering him deeply. He needed to do something. He had to say something to break that terrible silence.

Swallowing the lump that was formed in his throat, Kuon dared to speak politely.

"Mogami-san, I… I am really sorry. I didn't mean to do that…."

Kyoko's heart wrenched tightly.

 _"So he remembers?"_

She looked up at him and forced a smile.

"It's alright. It's not your fault you were drunk." She replied tonelessly.

A dagger plunged his heart. _"She's mad at me. Oh God, what do I do?"_

"Mogami-san…. I never meant to… I am sorry" his throat went dry. _"What am I supposed to say?"_ Kuon felt helpless. He wanted desperately to reveal the truth but fear of her rejection prevented him to tell how he felt about her. Would she understand? Would she accept him if he told her that he loved her? She could totally misunderstand him, well she already did. He was apologizing for taking advantage of her in his vulnerable condition when she deserved a properly sober confession and heartwarming proposal but she mistook it yet again. Why was he so stupid?

Kyoko inhaled and exhaled, putting her restlessness aside.

"I forgive you because it wasn't your fault. You weren't thinking straight" she said in a soft whisper.

Kuon stared at her with his mouth agape.

"Please don't hate me I...I know what I did was wrong and I am deeply sorry for taking advantage of you. I never meant to act in that way. I...I...you... " Kuon gulped. _"I love you. You are the only one I love"_ but he couldn't tell her aloud. His heart gripped tightly and he felt difficult to breath when she gave him thousand watt electric shock again.

"I don't hate you at all Hizuri-san, It's OK. If there's anything I feel about you then that's admiration" she gave him a smile that pulled his heart out.

Kuon felt himself crushing under the burden of thousand of bricks.

"Y-You admire me?" He looked at her puzzled.

 _"What did I ever do to make you my admirer? All I did was shouting and pushing you away..." his eyes bugged out._

"Yes, you have a kind heart..." she softly said.

It was another shock. What was she talking about?

"..." The words he wanted to say died in his mouth and his jaw almost hit the floor.

"Come again Mogami-san?" he repeated, questioning his hearing ability.

"You are kind enough not to throw me out despite of your hatred towards me. I admire you for your love and devotion towards that girl. I don't want to hurt you anymore that's why I'll stay in guest room."

It ripped his heart out.

 _"So she moved her stuff to guest room?"_ _Hurt...,_ It hurt him. _"I scared her away..."_

 _"She thinks I hate her? No, I love her... oh hell what have I done! I have caused misunderstandings for her. I don't know how to clear this mess" his head started hurting again._

He clenched his fits, desiring to kill himself.

"Mogami-san, you don't have to..." but she cut him off.

"Hizuri-san, I know how it feels to be forced therefore I don't want you to feel the same pain anymore. Let's just forget everything and live like room mates. You don't have to worry about anything. Since I'm sharing your apartment, I'll manage all of my expenses myself then I'll leave you alone"

It hurt him, His heart clenched. He wanted to slap himself hard for his past mistakes including the recent one, and bury himself alive not knowing how to convince her and clear the misunderstandings between them. He wanted to scream out his love for her but was it the right time? He might lose her forever if he tried to open up his heart and confess the crime of being in love with her. After what happened last night, there was no way she would believe him. She would doubt his sincerity. She would never return his love instead, she would think of him as double minded Jerk. He was thrown in hell.

"D-Don't you... don't you have any desires for yourself? Why are you so considerate to me? All I did was hurting you then why are you being so kind to me Mogami-san? No matter what, It's a legal marriage. Don't you want your husband to pay attention to you? Doesn't it hurt you at all?" he asked clenching his hands. Her kindness was too much for him. He wanted to knock some senses into her. Didn't she herself say that it was OK to be selfish sometimes then why wasn't she demanding anything for herself?

Kyoko looked thoughtful for a moment before she answered him.

"No, Hizuri-san, I have stopped running after desires long ago. If something is meant for me then it will still be there without putting any effort but If something is not written in my fate then it will just go away even if I give up on my life to achieve it" She looked at him and found him staring intensely at her.

She paused to catch her breath then continued.

"When I was younger, I thought mother's heart was softer than a rose petal but it was just my imagination. My mother was beyond cold hearted. She forced me for everything. I did everything I could to please her, even though it was like a poisoned arrow cutting through my heart but it was never enough for her. She left me behind broken hearted, questioning myself about the crime I committed to make her hate me. It hurt to the point that I gave up on trying to persuade her furthermore. I gave up on dreams. No complains, no demands. I lived my life following that rule but when I married you, I found you suffering the same way I did. That's why I decided to help you. I thought if I could do anything to bring you happiness then I would be able to forget about my pain and move on with life. Saving one person means saving the whole humanity so I wanted to help you because you were kind enough not to raise your hand on me..." Kyoko finished taking in a deep breath and looked down.

Kuon was silent. He couldn't bring himself to say anything. It crushed his heart. He didn't have any idea about her sufferings. She had herself suffered a lot may be that's why she understood him. She couldn't have love of her mother but may be she had dreamed of gaining her husband's love in the future who turned out to be the biggest bastard rejecting her so violently and treating her like a dirt but she was still kind enough to behave well with him. He was the one who had broken all of her dreams. She was young and beautiful. Even if he couldn't accept her as his wife then at least he could treat her well as a human being but he didn't do it. He was so obsessed with the vow of saving himself for his love lady that he mistreated her, regardless of how it might affect her but his defense went in vain and back fired at him because SHE was his love lady. Crap, he messed up and created misunderstandings between them, Double crap, he didn't know how to resolve things and win her heart. His defense became a double edged sword for him.

He got up on impulse, letting his emotions take over him and found himself hugging her tightly. Kyoko gasped at his sudden display of affection.

"I am sorry, please forgive me"

"Hizuri-san...!" she whimpered when he hugged her tighter than it was necessary. His grip on her was tightening as if he let go, she would run away and disappear never to show up in his life again

He buried his face in her hair and pleaded for forgiveness repeatedly.

"It's OK, I forgive you" she patted his back softly.

"Really...?" he pulled away and grasped her shoulders in excitement.

She nodded.

"It means you don't hate me?" he asked hopefully

She shook her head in response.

"It means you aren't mad at me?"

She shook her head again.

Kuon was happy. He managed to make some progress and earned her forgiveness but it wasn't enough. He still had to repair the damages of their relationship and make things right. He needed to tell her the truth and persuade her that he loved her sincerely and didn't know that she was the woman he loved his entire life. There was still much more to do but he was hopeful. He didn't lose his heart before and he couldn't lose his heart now when she was with him. All he had to do was be more patient and careful not to create further misunderstandings. He needed to pursue her till his last breath. It was his eternal vow after all and he was going to fulfill his vow no matter what happened. There was no chance of letting her go. He would never let it happen.

Kuon smiled brightly at her as he let her go "Thank you. You are very kind"

Kyoko responded with a smile which sped up his heart beat.

"I need to go. I have a job interview due at 9. AM" Kyoko told him as she took the dishes to sink to wash them up.

Kuon's heart jumped painfully. _"She still won't accept any financial help from me_ " he sighed.

"Let me drop you.." he asked following her.

"No need. I'll manage. You are getting late for work anyway so you should hurry" she dismissed him.

Kuon couldn't do anything else except sighing. She managed to shut him up again.

If he didn't do anything sooner then their already cracked relationship was going to break. He was sure of it and he wasn't going to let it happen. Never ever.

* * *

Wandering out through the side doors, Kyoko meandered through the hallway searching for the door she was supposed to go in. _"May be this is it. I hope I got_ _at the right floor_ " she thought and knocked the door lightly. "May I come in?" she asked politely and entered the room when she got the positive response.

"Mogami Kyoko right? Please have a seat. My name is Ishibashi Hikaru. I am M.D of Ishibashi Corp." the older man addressed her politely and gestured at her to sit down.

Kyoko took her seat nervously.

"Hi, Nice to meet you Sir" she greeted him formally.

 _"It's going to be OK. I can do this. I'll get this Job for sure. All I need is to be myself and confident"_ Kyoko encouraged herself before taking a deep breath to calm herself down.

It was a new start for her and she was definitely going to make it. She knew it.

* * *

Please read and review and let me know what you think. Please wait with patience for the next update. I'll update as soon as I have time. Thank you for all the encouragements and kind reviews. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

See you soon. Thank you and take care


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't own skip beat or any of its characters. It's an AU story, a story that doesn't follow exact plot of original skip beat and can have many OOCs. It is basically based on author's universe or authors creativity.

* * *

 **Unconditional Love**

 **Chapter-7**

* * *

 _"Sigh… It's been a month already and she hasn't talked to me. She is practically avoiding me. It's like as if I don't exist for her. I feel like she has built up a wall around her and I'm unable to cross her protective boundaries. She has stopped talking to me like she did before. She has stopped eating with me. She's already gone for work whenever I wake up in the morning and come back home to find her asleep in the guest room. I guess I really did manage to push her far away from me. At first, it was OK. I thought I deserved her ignorance for mistreating her but now it has started to get in to my nerves. It's making me desperate and anxious. I don't know for how long I can put up with this. It's already killing me" Kuon sighed heartbroken at his misery as he stepped out the elevator of his apartment complex._

"How do I tell her that I'm absolutely harmless for her? How am I supposed to tell her that I am hopelessly, madly, head over heels in love with her? How am I supposed to tell her that I am hers and only hers for the rest of my life? If I didn't do anything sooner then she might be gone from my life forever" Kuon questioned himself. He wanted to dig up the ground and bury himself alive. Everything that was happening was pure torture for him.

Sighing yet again, he opened the door of his apartment using his card key and stepped inside.

It was dark and quiet with no sign of her presence.

"I guess she isn't back from work yet" he swallowed hard wondering if he would get a chance to talk to her or even have dinner with her.

Taking off his shoes, he walked down the hallway and stepped into the kitchen to have some water.

He opened the fridge to grab a water bottle, emptied it in a single gulp and tossed it away roughly.

Ruffling his hair in frustration, Kuon heard the door opening and closing with a soft click. His heart beat raced as he heard footsteps approaching him.

"She's back" Kuon muttered and felt extremely nervous and happy at the same time.

* * *

Kuon watched intensely as Kyoko came into view, holding bags of groceries in her hands. Their eyes met but her response stabbed his heart to the core. The moment he looked into her eyes, she looked away at once, her face showing a blank expression. It broke his heart to know that she felt extremely uncomfortable in his presence. Trying to get rid of the awkward atmosphere, Kuon tried to start a pleasant conversation.

"You are back, welcome home. How was your day?" He asked hopeful to acquire a positive response.

"Yeah, when did you arrive?" she asked in return, ignoring his pained facial expression

"I just came back a few minutes ago" he replied.

"I see" Kyoko said putting the bags down on the table.

Kuon's eyes chased all of her moments. She had busied herself in Kitchen work and wasn't looking at him at all, completely ignoring him once again. The same irritated pain was back in his heart. She was intentionally ignoring his presence and it was all his fault to begin with but this had to be stopped. He was unable to bear it any longer. He was already over the edge.

"M-Mogami-san…?" he called out but was interrupted in the middle by her.

"I'll hurry up and make dinner. You can take shower if you want or wait in the living room"

Instead of doing what she said, Kuon leaned against the Kitchen wall, crossing his arms across his chest and stared at her with his deep burning eyes.

Kyoko could feel his eyes on her. She slowly turned around to face him and found him looking at her with such intensity as if his gaze was invading her very soul. It made her nervous and without a word, she looked away again.

Kuon was frustrated, desperate, hurt and annoyed. It hurt him deeply to know that she couldn't stand his presence. He just wanted to talk that's all but she was pushing him away.

His heart clenched. He had to talk to her and tell her to stop avoiding him. He had to tell her that she didn't need to close herself up for him. She was the one he needed the most. She was the one he had waited for his entire life so she didn't have to act that way.

"Please look at me Kyoko" Kuon said approaching her and closing the distance between them.

More than a plea, it sounded like a statement, a powerful command that Kyoko was taken aback, both at the force behind his command and at the sudden mention of her first name. She stopped washing the vegetables and slowly turned around to face him. His immense closeness startled her.

"Wh-What? Do you need anything?" she asked stuttering when he moved closer with his eyes never leaving her face.

She gulped.

"Why are you avoiding me Kyoko? Are you still angry with me?" he asked in a whisper like tone.

She averted her gaze, stabbing his heart again. It was clear she didn't want him there at the same place.

"I'm not avoiding you Hizuri-san, you are imagining things" she mumbled, fueling his pain.

"Yes you are, you don't even talk to me. It's been a month. You don't even notice my presence. We don't eat together anymore. Are you that much angry?" he pleaded. The tight feeling in his chest was killing him.

He moved further now that he was standing only an inch away from her. They were so close. Their bodies slightly touched. It was even difficult to fit a hand between them.

His hands moved up to caress her cheek. "Talk to me please."

Kyoko wondered on what to say. It was him who wanted her to stay away then why was he behaving this way? She was just doing everything to put him at ease but why was he sounding so hurt?

Putting her unease aside, she spoke softly. "I'm not angry with you. I just couldn't manage enough time to spend with you because of my job"

"Is that so?" he found it hard to believe.

She nodded reluctantly.

"Don't lie to me Kyoko, I know you are angry. Please I want you to talk to me as frankly as you did before. I am begging you. Please forgive me"

Kyoko shook her head.

"I really am not angry with you, honestly" she tried to answer as calmly as she could but her heart was on fire because of his closeness.

"Then why are you avoiding me? You can't even stand looking at me for a second" he questioned again.

Kyoko sighed.

"Isn't that what you wanted me to do? I'm doing it to make you comfortable. I don't want you to get hurt anymore. I know how difficult it is for you to bear the burden of this un-required relationship. I would never be able to forgive myself if someone got hurt by me either intentionally or unintentionally"

Kuon's heart wanted to burst out of his chest. He felt ashamed of himself. Self-loathing, pain, anger, love, regret and despair, multiple emotions were overpowering his senses simultaneously.

He was extremely angry at himself for wounding her fragile heart. It was the right time for him to reveal his crime of being in love with her.

"If I request you to befriend with me again then will you do it? If I ask you to open up your heart and let me in then will you do it? You are doing everything for my sake, to make me happy right? So if I ask you be with me forever, will you do it?" his voice was a display of his miserable heart.

Kyoko felt petrified. Was he drunk again? What was he saying?

She closed her eyes as she replied. "I'm sorry I can't do this. I would rather prefer dying then doing the sin of taking away someone else's beloved. You don't belong to me so please don't ask me to do the impossible. Please stay as far away from me as you can. I don't want to have any regrets."

Kuon blinked. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. What kind of girl she was? How could she be so selfless, sacrificing her own desires for someone else she didn't even know about yet? The girl she was sacrificing for was none other than but her. He wanted to laugh at her kindness. She was dangerously cute and lovable. Kuon found his heart melting away. He chuckled to himself at her sweetness.

Kyoko's heart started beating widely. She could feel his warm breath caressing her face. She could barely breath in his presence. She was extremely restless.

She took a few steps backwards in a hope to create some distance between them but her bad luck, Kuon followed and moved closer to her, putting his hands on either side of her head, trapping her between him and the wall.

He bent down and brought his lips near her ear and let her know his secret.

"You don't have to do this Kyoko because the woman I love is no one else but you." Kuon spoke in raspy tone, turning her into a stone.

Shock appeared on Kyoko's face. She became paralyzed, unable to either move or act.

Looking at her frozen state, Kuon gathered all of his courage to explain everything to her and to wash away all of her doubts.

He kissed the tip of her nose and pressed his forehead against hers as he spoke ever so gently.

"Do you remember the boy you saved from drowning in the past? That miserable and useless boy is me" he paused to look at her face. She was looking at him with disbelief.

He continued, looking deeply into her eyes. "I tried to commit suicide but you saved me and motivated me to love myself. I fell in love with you instantly. You became an ideal woman for me. Your selflessness and kind heart affected and repaired my broken soul and gave me back what I had lost long ago, hope and desire to live. Because of you, I learned that life was beautiful. But unfortunately, fate decided to put me in for a test. You came into my life again, the one I had been waiting for so desperately and being ever so oblivious and fool that I am, I pushed you away and misbehaved with you. I can't tell you how ashamed I am for my rude behavior. Even being a stranger, you were kind to me and I did the opposite. I claimed to love someone with all of my heart and soul but I forgot to be a gentleman to you. I made you victim of my frustration when you were innocent. I know I don't deserve it but being well-known to your courtesy, can I dare to hope for forgiveness?" Kuon asked holding his breath. He was getting impatient with each passing second.

Kyoko just stared at him in awe. Tears started to build up in her eyes.

Koun removed one of his hands from the wall and stroked her cheek gently.

"Kyoko, do you remember me? I'm your Kuon. I have always been yours only. Please talk to me. Say something!" Koun looked at her with anxious and almost worried expression.

Countless thoughts were going through Kyoko's head simultaneously. Tears started to stream down when she remembered what he was exactly saying and who he really was.

 _"He loves me? I am that girl he was talking about? He's that boy? He's grown up so much. I'm glad to know he's alive and doing well. Why didn't I realize it sooner? I didn't know his name back in the past maybe that's why I failed to recognize him."_

Kyoko slowly began to speak, recovering from her shock state.

Her hand moved impulsively to caress his face. She looked at him softly, putting his heart at ease.

"It's you. You have grown up. I'm so happy to see you again. I guess fate plays games in its own way" she smiled warmly and pinched his nose lightly.

"Don't be sad, I'm not angry. I forgive you for everything because you were forced to act violent. It's not your fault. Anyone can have terrible mood swings; I can't hate you just because of your rude behavior"

Relief rushed over his entire being. He felt so light weighted. She remembered him and forgave him. His heart burst into happiness.

Kuon moved his hands up to cup her face. "Kyoko, I know I am flawed and I absolutely don't deserve you but I've loved you since the first day we met. Even thought I didn't know who you were, my heart refused to forget about you. You had captured my heart, my soul and my mind. Please give me the honor of being the happiest man alive and stay with me till we both breathe our last. I can only dare to hope for your acceptance but if you reject me then it would be my misfortune and I would accept it as well because I no longer have the right to be with you after what I have done" Kuon confessed and lowered his eyes in shame.

Tears started to fall from Kyoko's eyes. She brought her hand to cover her mouth.

Kuon looked up at her with pained eyes. He thought she was crying because she didn't want to be with him. Comforting his wounded heart, he thought of apologizing to her when she said the most unexpected.

"I accepted you in my life the moment I married you. I was always by your side doing everything I could to make you happy. I'll gladly spend my life with you if you are willing to do so" she told him.

Kuon having the biggest smile on his face, pulled her towards him and hugged her tightly. Unable to overcome his emotions, he fell onto his knees taking her with him. He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist and held her close to him. His grip around her tightened, causing her to squeak in discomfort.

Kyoko returned his embrace without any protest and rubbed his back to soothe his abnormal breathing.

"I'm not going anywhere. Don't worry" she assured him when she realized how tightly he was holding her as if she was going to vanish any moment.

He pulled away after a long time which felt like eternity, still reluctant to let her go and looked at her with all the love he had for her.

"I'm a fool not to realize who you were in time but I'm so happy to have your acceptance. I am so grateful that you didn't reject me." he told her grinning widely.

"Your love is pure. How could I reject you? It's always an honor to be loved so genuinely by someone therefore I have no reason to reject your sincere love and break your heart" Kyoko replied, pulling his heart out which wasn't in his control anymore.

"You really are something you know that? I don't think you are a human being. Who are you exactly?" he laughed as he leaned in and caught her lips for the sweetest and the most passionate kiss of his life, their first real kiss, which they shared mutually. It was the best day of Kuon's life. The woman he loved and pursued had accepted him with open arms, showing her kindness again to forgive him and embrace him with warmth. He had finally found his home, his peace, his loved one and now he was sure never to get lost in darkness again. She was there to guide him. The one and only, His Kyoko.

* * *

Please read and review. Let me know what you think. I don't know why but I felt uncomfortable writing about Hikaru and Kyoko so I skipped it. I hope it didn't put much impact on the story. Apologies to HikaruxKyoko fans. Her interaction as his employee will come in upcoming chapters so please don't be mad at me. I hope you like the chapter.

See you again soon.

Take Care and Be Blessed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I don't own skip beat or any of its characters. It's an AU story.

* * *

 **Unconditional Love**

 **Chapter-8**

* * *

At first, Kuon was shocked when Kyoko kissed him back but then, in an instant, he wrapped his arms around his love lady and kissed her passionately like it was the last thing he could do before dying. Kyoko returned his kiss with vigor. She was amateur but Kuon didn't care. He kissed her slowly but deeply, guiding her along and she proved herself a quick learner.

Kuon's hands moved up and down her back, caressing it softly while Kyoko's hands moved from his back to his hair, gently stroking it and the two of them kept kissing as if nothing around them mattered anymore.

Kuon deepened the kiss. No other thoughts clouded his mind. This was, after all what he wanted. After years of desperate loneliness and longing, all he wanted was her. Kuon hated the burning feeling in his lungs. As he slowly pulled away, he heard her soft whimper. She was driving him crazy. After nights of solitude, holding her in his arms felt so right. Feeling her lips pressed against his felt like heaven. Watching her eyes slide open as she awaited his next kiss sent a jolt of electricity through his body, setting his core ablaze.

"Sorry" blushing hard, Kyoko took this moment to bury her face in his chest.

"I'm the one who should be saying sorry Kyoko." He pulled her away to look into the depth of her amber eyes but he felt cold without her warmth. "I got carried away."

She nodded against his chest. Kyoko wanted this moment to last forever. He was holding her so lovingly. She felt so warm but at the same time, his closure sent shivers down her spine. She had wished for someone to love her that way and her wish was finally granted.

He pulled her closer and held her tightly. Kyoko was elated. She finally had someone who endeared her. She wanted to stay in his arms but fatigue and desire to sleep started to take control. She battled against the sleep that was slowly overwhelming her senses.

"Kyoko" Kuon paused, struggling to make a choice of right words. "I love you" he stated as he took in deep breath, hoping she would return his feelings but he was rewarded by silence only. "I'm sorry. I know I messed up and took so long to recognize you but I want you to know that I love you more than you can imagine. I've always loved you only. I am sorry for being a fool not to recognize you soon. I am sorry for pushing you away before but I promise it won't happen again."

Still, there was no answer.

"Kyoko?"

When he slowly pulled her to arm's length, he finally realized that she was sleeping soundly. "How can you sleep at a time like this?" He laughed, knowing that his question would remain unanswered.

There was nothing he could do, not when she was sleeping in his arms so peacefully and he didn't have the heart to wake her up so he lifted her up bridal-style and carried her to his, now their bedroom.

* * *

Kuon remained with his eyes closed as he tried to feel his surroundings. The fresh air felt good on his face and he smelt faintly of wood. He could hear the sound of birds just over the mellow roar of the wind rustling the leaves on the trees.

He opened his eyes to find himself in the middle of a clearing in the depth of a dark forest. He looked around, unfazed by his situation and walked over to an uplifted root to have a seat. He could hear a faint growling sound coming from behind him but he remained still and waited for something to happen before a graceful raven perched himself on a branch that was out of his reach.

Kuon stood from his seat, spell bound by the raven. He wanted to touch it but it flew away as it sensed his moments but Kuon was enticed. He took off after the bird as he dodged low branches and exposed roots to keep his eyes on the raven. Each step drew the sound of growling closer and louder. For a moment, Kuon felt like a beast was right behind him, ready to attach its prey.

He turned to make sure that he was safe but instead, he fell to the ground with a thud. Kuon began picking himself up when he noticed a bored looking cat staring at him. The cat was remarkably beautiful with light amber fur, laced with thin strips of white.

Stretching, the cat slowly made its way to the fallen stranger. Without fear, it pressed its head on his shoulder and purred softly for attention.

Impulsively, Kuon picked the cat up in his arms and patted it gently as the cat rested comfortably in his embrace.

Kuon stood up to find a nice place to sit than the dirty ground, but a canary swooped down out of nowhere, scaring him and back to the ground he fell, dropping the startled cat in the process.

The cat looked at him and without a second thought, jumped on its prey, only to have the canary land on a branch in his line of sight.

Kuon stood there watching the scene happening before his eyes.

The little bird sang happily to now hungry and angered animal and soon a chase began between them, leaving Kuon behind alone again.

As if on cue, the raven cawed, calling for Kuon's attention to the branch above his head. Forgetting about the cat and that stupid canary, Kuon lifted himself up and dusted his dress off and soon he was running after the crafty raven.

His running journey brought him to the edge of a cliff. The growling sound was awfully close making his pulse quicken, yet not enough for him to change his mind about chasing the raven, that currently sat perched on a branch overlooking the cliff. Kuon inched closer to the raven, holding onto the tree for support. He could feel the roughness of the bird's feathers when his grip loosened and over the cliff, he began to fall.

A blood curdling scream welled up in his chest but the fall never came. He looked back to see a black wolf securely biting the back of his shirt. Slowly the wolf inched back bringing him to safety as Kuon once again fell to the ground.

He looked up at the raven which remained vigilant to its watch over the events that were taking place.

The wolf commanded his attention when he growled at him. Kuon wanted to flee. He couldn't help the jolts of fear that shook his body. The wolf drew closer and he inched away until he was at the cliff's edge again. He tried to stay still but with nowhere left to run, he surrendered and closed his eyes as the wolf began licking his face playfully.

Kuon couldn't help but laugh as his heartbeat fought to settle down. The wolf gently tugged his sleeve for him to follow as it led him out of the dark forest and into a meadow lined with beautiful flowers.

"You led him out of the forest" Kuon heard someone saying as the wolf left Kuon's side and ran towards someone in opposite direction.

Kuon stood there dumbfounded.

"Rick…?" His eyes welled up with tears at the sight of his lost friend.

The man knelt down before the wolf and held out his hand. "Thank you for saving him" he smiled brightly and the wolf placed its paw in his hand before leaping into his lap and playfully licked his face.

Rick burst into a fit of laughter as he merrily played on the ground with his friend. Kuon stood there shocked unable to speak. Soon the wolf was gone and Kuon was left alone with Rick who stood at the fair distance, having a smile on his face as he looked at his best friend.

After an eternity of silence, Rick spoke, breaking the dam of Kuon's emotions.

"I'm proud of you Kuon"

"Rick…"

Words were stuck in Kuon's mouth. Rick was standing before his eyes. His best friend was right there in front of him.

"I just wanted you to know how happy I am for you" Rick stated with a smile.

Kuon didn't dare to move an inch closer to his friend. He was too scared. He thought if he did, he might disappear, never to show up again.

"I'm sorry for everything I did to you. Please forgive me. I didn't mean to kill you." he whispered softly with tears in his eyes as he hung his head lower.

Rick laughed at his statement.

"Stupid, you didn't kill me. You never could because you loved me like your own brother. It was an accident. None of that happened in the past was your fault. Get over it."

Kuon looked up at his friend as fresh tears streaked his face.

"You are not mad at me?" he asked in low whisper.

Rick shook his head.

"You don't hate me for being selfish? I left you alone to die in pain and did nothing to save you. How can you be so kind-hearted Rick?"

Rick smiled again.

"I can never hate you because you're my best friend and you always will."

"I was a fool please forgive me." Kuon's voice cracked with emotions.

"You are forgiven Kuon" Rick said with a smile "Don't live your life in regret anymore. Don't mourn over my death. You've changed now. You are free to love anyone you please. You are free to live your life as you desire. Don't hold back. You're free from the burden of your past. I don't hate you. I'm not mad at you. If there's anything, then I feel proud of you because you've grown up as a gentle man."

Tears streamed down Kuon's cheeks as he silently cried. "I miss you Rick. I'm sorry. Please come back. I don't want to lose you again"

"I am in your heart Kuon. I am in your memories. I was never gone. Love that girl with all your heart. Your choice is nice. I approve of her."

He started fading away from him.

Startled, Kuon tried to reach out for him.

"Don't go Rick!"

"Let her love you. Let her heal you. Love her from the depth of your heart. Cherish her. Don't hold back. She's meant for you only. She'll never leave you. You have nothing to fear. I'll be in your heart forever. You don't have to forget about me but you need to move on and have a pleasant life because you deserve it."

Rick was gone but his voice still echoed in Kuon's mind. "You deserve love. Don't punish yourself anymore. You have a long life ahead of you."

* * *

Kyoko could feel the cool breeze flowing through the window as she stirred awake. Her body felt refreshed. She looked around the room, trying to steady herself. The soft moon light was covering the dark room with a gentle glow.

The last thing she remembered was being in Kuon's arms, kissing and holding him. She couldn't remember anything else. She turned deep red as she recalled the memorable moment of her first kiss with her husband.

She was just about to get out of the bed when she heard a groan coming from the other side of the room. She turned on the light to see a rather uncomfortable looking Kuon sleeping on the floor.

Carefully, she pulled the covers off and walked over to his sleeping form. He groaned again and changed positions, trying to find some comfort in his sleeping arrangements.

She looked at his face. Tears were flowing down his cheeks and he was mumbling something constantly in his sleep.

He looked so handsome while sleeping even if his face was twisted into a pained snarl or even if he had tears stained face.

His cheeks were damp with real tears. Kyoko knew it was selfish of her to wake him up but he probably wouldn't mind. It wasn't like he was having a good sleep anyway. She knelt down in front of him and patted his face, wiping away the wet streaks.

Kuon's eyes snapped open.

"Are you alright?" You were mumbling in your sleep and crying"

Kuon wiped his face clean with one hand. "I'm fine. It was nothing, just a dream." He sat up, rubbing the back of his sore neck and stretched out, yawning silently.

Kyoko got off of the floor and sat next to him.

"I'm sorry to wake you up but you looked uncomfortable"

"I was" he yawned again. "Did you sleep well?" he looked at his watch; It was 2 AM. "God, it's early."

"I know, I am sorry but you were crying so I thought ….." She suddenly wished she'd let him sleep for a while longer.

"Don't be sorry. I'm glad you woke me up." He pulled her closer. "I was kind of annoyed when you fell asleep on me." He playfully said into her hair.

Kyoko's face flamed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry Hizuri-san, I didn't mean to"

"Kyoko, please call me Kuon. There's no need to be formal with me." He stated firmly but Kyoko turned another shade of red.

"But…It's inappropriate." she tried to argue but he dismissed her excuses.

"Nothing is inappropriate. Please Kyoko, for me. If you have forgiven me for my reckless behavior then please address me as Kuon" against his strong plead and puppy eyed expression, she had no choice but to give in.

Smiling, he laid his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes, recalling the dream in his mind.

"Was it a bad dream?" he heard her asking him as she gently stroked his hair. Kuon sighed heavily.

"No" He replied, wrapping his arm around her as he pulled her closer and nuzzled her neck.

"Want to talk about it?"

"No" he shook his head again. Kyoko didn't press him about the dream again and just stroked his head, combing her fingers through his hair. Kuon loved the feeling of her slender fingers running through his hair. He relaxed under her touch instantly. After several minutes, his heart rate slowed down to match hers.

"Do you want to have some more sleep? Close your eyes and go back to sleep." she told him as she patted his head slightly.

"I don't think I can" he whispered, shaking his head again. He just wanted her to be there. He didn't want to let go of her warmth.

He thought if it was the right time. It had taken so much courage at first, now he was fighting the butterflies in his stomach. His composure steadied when he felt her arms wrap around him. "I was saying something before you fell asleep you know" he whispered gently.

Kyoko wasn't listening. She was thinking about her hands which moved on their own.

He took a deep breath and thought about how he'd say it. She knew about his past but there was a lot more needed to be revealed about him and he feared her rejection. Even if she accepted him before, didn't mean she would accept him again. A part of him wanted him to tell her all of his secrets while his heart was screaming at him to shut up and enjoy the movement of love with her.

"I love you Kyoko" he confessed gathering all of his courage and paused to think about it deeply before letting his secret out. "But will you ever find a place in your heart to love a murderer like me?" he stated with a heavy heart as his face took the refuge in the nape of her neck.

His words took her a minute to register. It shocked her. His voice was like a broken whisper. Her hands fell to his sides and all the life sapped out of him.

Kyoko raised an eye brow in confusion, unable to process anything he had said. Her silence was unbearable for him. He felt like a frying pan that had caught fire.

"I have a dark past and I am not proud of it Kyoko. I killed my best friend. He died on my account when he was trying to save me from myself" he continued sadly when she didn't utter a word.

"I was frustrated. I felt being overshadowed by my father's existence. People compared me with him and expected me to be just like him. It was a living hell for me because I didn't have my own identity. I tried to fight it out of my head and stayed as calm as I could but people judged me. My family name ruined the peace of my mind. I wasn't loved as a person. I was loved and admired because I was Kuu Hizuri's son. My school mates bullied me all the time. They hit me, treated me like dirt and humiliated me for my mixed heritage. They laughed at me because I was different. I was fed up. I got myself into fights. I couldn't take it anymore. That's when I met Rick, he taught me to be brave and fight for justice. He taught me to fight for my survival but he died in a car accident, in an attempt to save me from my beast-self. I couldn't get over the guilt of his death and gave up hope. I tried to end my life but you came into my life and saved me." He told her everything in one shot and waited for her response restlessly.

He didn't dare to look up and meet her eyes. He was afraid to see disgust in her eyes for him.

He was expecting her to get up and run away from him. He was expecting her to yell at him and hit him but she did the opposite and he felt his heart going back to its place again.

"Silly, you look like you can't even kill a fly and you are telling me that you killed a person? I know you are short tempered but you are not a murderer, absolutely not, at least not for me." After a long pause of silence, Kyoko's voice rang into his ears.

Kuon's head jerked up to look at her.

She was smiling at him while he was jaw dropped. He opened his mouth to explain himself but Kyoko covered it with her finger to stop him.

"I know people of this modern era like to wear the goggles of judgment but it doesn't matter to me. I am not judgmental and narrow-minded. I am happy being imperfect. I am happy being old-fashioned. You don't have to explain anything to me about your past because I trust you. You are a good person, a person whom I admire a lot remember?"

Kuon's eyes turned wide. "But… I" he was about to start his rambling again when Kyoko cut him off.

"No buts" she shut him up as she continued. He stared at her as his eyes bugged out in shock at her words.

"Either good or bad, you are mine. I don't care who you are. For me, you are my husband whom I married. Your past doesn't matter to me. I am happy with my blind trust in you and you'd never find me judging you on the basis of your past. We are equal as human beings who breathe in the same air and have blood of same color. There's no point of discrimination for me. You are my equal as a person. I have no problem with your flaws. Even if you really are a murderer, I don't care because you are not answerable to me for your deeds so please don't ever think that I'd run away turning my back on you like a stupid airhead."

 _My mother is worst than you. You are nothing in her comparison. If I could forgive her for mistreating me and abandoning me then I could forgive you also._

"What did you just say?" Kuon practically barked, becoming deaf to everything. Just one phrase kept repeating in his mind.

 _Either good or bad, you are mine..._

Startled, Kyoko was slammed into silence, thinking that she might have said something wrong. "I...umm" she stuttered, not knowing how to answer him back.

He held her tightly, trying to pump in some life into her limp body.

 _Did she just claim me as hers?_

"I didn't expect you to say something like that Kyoko. You are different from all the women I've met. You are indeed my ideal woman. You are amazing you know that? I've never met anyone like you in my entire life." He said with a smile and Kyoko looked at him with moist eyes.

"Well, I know I love you. I love you so much. You are the only one for me. The woman with the purest heart and soul" He said with sincerity dripping from his eyes. "I've loved you for so long and I'd always love you."

To his delight, she beamed at him.

"I love you too dear husband, no matter who you are and whatever you did in the past. I love you unconditionally."

"Really?" Kuon's chest swelled with infinite joy.

Kyoko nodded with a shy smile and a cute blush. "Is it bad for me to love my own husband?" she inquired him with a cute pout, making him laugh. "No, it's absolutely not a crime. I belong to you anyway so you have right to love me." He kissed her hair as she tried her hardest to hide her blush but failed.

"So you love me?" he asked playfully, even though he already knew the answer. Her eyes were mirror of her heart.

Exceedingly embarrassed, Kyoko's face burned under his teasing and intense gaze. She didn't have any escape from the man's chasing eyes without telling him her feelings so she whispered a soft 'yes' out.

Kuon's heart lifted higher than it ever had before. Relief washed over him when he searched her eyes and found nothing but sincerity. She wasn't faking it just for his happiness. She truly meant it. He could see right through her soul and he knew she wasn't lying. She wasn't that kind of person to give someone false hopes.

He stared at her like a retarded idiot before losing himself completely.

"K-Ku…" he kissed her without letting her finish and oh boy, Kyoko kissed him back. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her delicate thin fingers played with his soft hair as they melted in each other's embrace.

He pulled her closer until she was sitting in his lap. Since she didn't protest or pushed him away, he gently played with her lips, kissing her lightly, enjoying the feel of her touch. Slowly, he left her lips for the thin definition of her jaw. He groaned inwardly. He was losing it. His soft butterfly kisses against her neck earned him a soft gasp and he smiled against her skin.

Kuon couldn't believe how wonderful it felt. Her soft skin, her red plump lips, her warmth, her scent, it was all intoxicating. He could barely hold in the feelings bursting out of his heart. No one ever made him feel that way. He'd never thought of being intimate with any woman but Kyoko was different. Just a kiss managed to flame out all of his pent up desire and longing for her.

It almost felt like his heart was going to fall out of his chest. It was pumping so hard that it threatened to explode any moment.

Kyoko could feel his hands wandering now. Gentle whispers against her shoulders, his soft butterfly kisses, his fingertip lingering just beneath her shirt and her body stiffening under his, all of this lit up a fire in her but she couldn't let him continue. It wasn't like she didn't want him to. He had right to love her. They were legally married. It was something else that was making her worried and she needed to stop him but didn't know how to state the right words without hurting his feelings.

She turned scarlet.

"H-Hizuri-san… K-Kuon" her voice never sounded so foreign before but he hardly seemed to notice as he lifted her in his arms and carried her to bed.

With her shirt discarded by the bed side, Kuon began showering her face with soft kisses and moved down to kiss her neck.

With each landed kiss, he could hear her breath catching in her throat, making his need to touch her more urgent.

"K-Kuon"

He loved to hear his name coming from her. No Hizuri-san, no formalities. There were no barriers between them. They were equal in every way.

"Please wait…."

Her plea wasn't meant to be ignored but her soft tone was lost under his longing. He was desperate. He'd been waiting for her for so long. His heart was screaming at him to stop and come back to his senses before scaring her away but his desperate heart didn't seem to listen. He couldn't resist her charm, not when she was this close to him. It was killing him. He loved her and there was no mistaking it that she loved him back. She had said so herself so it was alright. Despite of shaking himself inwardly to stop and pull himself away from her before it was too late, Kuon found himself being swept away in the flood of his desire for her. He looked down at her face and it was flushed.

He kissed her eyelids, her cheeks, her soft lips, her chin, her collarbone, her neck as his lips moved over her soft skin, kissing her all the way down her flat stomach.

"Kuon…. Please…."

Lack of air was making her mind clouded. She was dizzy. She needed to stop him because she couldn't do it right away. But it felt like the emperor of the night was deaf. He didn't seem to hear anything she said as he caressed her thin curves and his lips traveled upwards to her bosom.

"Please…" the urgency in her voice rang out, kicking his senses back to his mind. "Please wait…"

Kuon sat up to look into her eyes. He was out of breath as he watched her face.

"I'm sorry Kuon" she looked away, unable to meet his eyes. She couldn't take the disappointment she imagined would paint his eyes. He was her legal husband after all but could she tell him the reason? It was embarrassing for her to tell him straight even if he was her husband.

"Shhh…" Kuon whispered soothingly. He lifted her chin to meet her eyes. "You have nothing to be sorry about. It's my fault. I should have kept myself in control. I am sorry for losing my composure. If you are not ready, then you are not. I can wait." He stated while planting a kiss on her forehead.

He mentally kicked himself. He had ruined it all. He dared to rush things up and now he had to deal with the consequences. Damn him! And Damn his lose self control! When it came to her, he didn't have much self control indeed, not after spending years in crushing solitude, waiting for her. But a part of him was screaming that it was unfair of her to stop him. He knew for sure that even thousand cold showers wouldn't help him to calm down but he hadn't waited for her this long to rush things up and regret later.

"It's not like that…" she muttered softly, regaining his attention.

He caressed her cheek with the back of his thumb. "Are you scared of me?"

"No"

"Are you having second thoughts about your decision of accepting me…?"

She shook her head again.

"Then what's the matter? Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you?" he asked, holding her gaze. His expression saddened for a second but he managed to mask it expertly.

 _Why did you stop me Kyoko?  
_

Kyoko blushed and looked away again.

"It's not like that really…. I don't mind it…It's just that I can't…" her face flushed again with embarrassment.

Kuon gazed at her confusingly. He felt hurt. Was she rejecting him?

Kyoko bit her lower lip and turned deepest shade of red again.

"I…. ummm… I … I am on my periods so we can't…" Kyoko wanted to disappear after those words left her mouth. She felt extremely embarrassed that she wanted to dig up a hole right there and hide herself from him, burying herself into it.

Kuon's face was redder than hers when he took her meaning. "Oh…."

Sighing in relief, he leaned down and kissed the corner of her mouth, leaving her stunned. "I'll wait." He gave her his best smile

He took off his shirt and gave it to her. "You can put this on" A slight blush tinted her face when she realized that she was topless. "Thanks" she immediately wore his shirt to cover herself. Her cheeks were still hot and red and her heart was beating like crazy against her chest.

A rough sigh escaped his lips as he tried to get out of bed, hoping that some time alone would make his insanity go away. "You can sleep in here. I'll go sleep on the couch" he said without looking back at her as he made an attempt to go away but stopped when he felt a tug on his sleeve.

"You don't have to go anywhere. You can sleep here next to me. It's okay." Kyoko said softly but it felt like a pang in his heart.

A part of him was more than happy to share the bed with her but the other part of him was in trouble. The other part of him was still in desire for her.

That other half was taunting him, screaming at him to move away from her. _'Are you kidding me? Great, you are going to lie down next to her and still, you expect me to be in control and behave like a good boy? Are you testing my self-control?' His other part mocked him._

Giving in to his desire yet again, he joined her under the covers and reluctantly wrapped his arm around her waist.

Innocently and absolutely oblivious of his inner turmoil, Kyoko snuggled closer to him and laid her head over his arm, using it as her pillow. "Good night, sweet dreams" she whispered softly.

Kuon mentally cursed himself. His eyebrow twitched. "Are you torturing me or what?" he whispered inaudibly.

 _"Seriously, sweet dreams? Do you really expect me to have sweet dreams after riding the roller coaster of my emotions….?" He questioned her mentally._

"Good night" Kuon's voice was dark but he didn't let it slip out. It held a tint of resentment. He was flamed. He was frustrated. He was furious. It might be a good night for her but he doubted he would be able to sleep comfortably while holding the woman of his dreams in his arms. After all, he didn't want to get carried away with his body automatically reacting to what was next to him.

He groaned inwardly as his inner beast kicked him in the stomach to let him out. It had to be around 3 by now. "Just a little more. You can do it Kuon" he encouraged himself. "You can hold on for few hours. Almost there. Morning is about to come"

As if on cue, Kyoko snuggled in closer and buried her face deeper into his chest.

Biting his lower lip, Kuon cursed under his breath. _"Is God punishing me is this a test of my patience?"_

A giggle escaped her lips. Kuon tensed up. He stared at her face but she was sound asleep.

 _Is she really torturing me? She doesn't even know what she's doing to me. God, it feels like hell! I can't take it anymore. She's turning me insane!_

His eyes fell on her lips and he gulped, shutting his eyes tightly. " _Please Kuon! Just hold on for 3 hours."_ He started reverse counting when Kyoko's nose nuzzled the crook of his neck.

* * *

That's it. Please read and review. Thank you for your patience. I'll be updating this story for a while now. Thank you everyone for taking your time to read and review. I appreciate it. Let me know what you think. I know it took me so long to update this story again but I'll be updating it more often now. May be I'll concentrate on this on for a while now. Please don't worry. As long as I'm alive and in good health, I'll update and finish all of my pending stories unless circumstances of unexpected life force me to do otherwise so please stay tuned. Thank you for all of your support. You guys are awesomely great. I hope you like the chapter.  
See you soon again

Take Care

Love, Elina


End file.
